A Family for Alice
by kr2009
Summary: Being parents wasn't the top item on Carlisle and Esme's to-do list. But when a little girl in Esme's kindergarten class needs a home, can the young couple be everything she needs? AH.
1. Chapter 1

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing around with them. **

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><p>I stifle a yawn as I walk down the hall toward my classroom. I should be excited since it's the first day of school, but I'm too tired. Our last night of summer celebration lasted a bit too long last night, and while I love the pleasant ache of my most used muscles, I'm not too fond of my droopy eyelids.<p>

Carlisle laughed when I disgustedly rolled out of bed at five-thirty this morning, but I let him have his fun. I laughed at him all summer when he had to wake before me, so it was only fair.

"Esme, wait up!"

I stop and turn, smiling as I see Rosalie rushing toward me.

"Morning, Rose."

"Good morning, Esme." She's wide awake and ready for the day. At least one of us is. "Are you excited about today?"

I can't help but smile and nod. Her enthusiasm is contagious. "I am, but I wish I could take a nap with the kids later. Or maybe drink some more coffee." My one cup during the faculty meeting isn't helping all that much.

"The kids will keep you awake, I'm sure," she teases, linking her arm through mine. "How many do you have this year?"

"Ten," I say happily. "It's a perfect number."

It's one of the reasons why I love living in our small town. Even in public school, we have enough teachers to go around so that our classrooms aren't crowded. And since I can offer more one-on-one time with each student, they learn even more.

"I have eleven," Rose informs me. "I really think it's going to be a great year."

I laugh. "We haven't even been with the kids for longer than that hour at 'meet the teacher', though. You could easily have a holy terror who makes your job miserable."

"Psssh…this is kindergarten, not fourth grade. We get all the sweeties before they learn how to be terrors."

I hum in agreement. The kids really are sweet, and I can't wait to get to know my bunch for the year.

Rosalie and I separate at our rooms which are right beside each other. The principal knows better than to split us up even though I have a feeling she wishes she could. But we're sisters…well, in law anyway, and we like working close together.

I flip the light switch and watch as my room comes to life. Everything has already been set up last week, and thanks to Carlisle's help, it's just how I like it. The tables where the kids will sit have names taped to each spot, and the worksheets for the day are stacked neatly on my desk. There really isn't anything for me to do, so I sit at my desk and wait.

Fifteen minutes later, the first student arrives along with a set of parents who are more nervous than their son. I show him to his seat before attempting to reassure the parents that he's fine because he really is. They finally leave, and then it's a steady stream of little ones and parents, all showing some degree of anxiety. I do my best to address every concern and assure everyone that we're going to have a great day and year.

Soon I have eight little students ready for the day to begin, but I wait on the last two. It doesn't surprise me that our neighbor, Bella Swan, is one of the last ones to arrive. Punctuality really isn't the Swan family's thing, but they make it on time. With a quick leg-hug for me, Bella rushes to her desk without another thought. I'm positive she'll thrive here, and so are her parents. They leave without much fuss, and then I'm waiting again.

I check my watch one last time and am about to start class without my missing student, Mary Brandon, when Rosalie comes to the doorway.

"I think I have one of yours," she explains with a smile. "Come on in, sweetheart. _This _Mrs. Cullen is your teacher."

A tiny girl with dark hair steps from behind Rosalie's legs. Her chin is down, as are her eyes, as she timidly walks toward me.

I kneel down so I'm at her level and smile warmly. "Good morning, dear. Are you Mary?" She glances at me, blue eyes wide, and gives me a small nod. "Well, I'm so happy to have you in my class, Mary. Would you like to find your desk?" I hold out my hand, and after a pause, she takes it.

I lead her over to her desk and get her settled in beside Bella. As soon as I'm sure they're okay, I go back over to the doorway where Rose is waiting.

"Thank you," I whisper. "I know it's easy for parents to get confused." With two Mrs. Cullen's teaching kindergarten, it's a wonder why we're not all confused.

She shrugs. "No problem. Her mother dropped her off without a word, so I didn't even notice until there wasn't a desk for her. I think she's a shy one, so give her a little extra love."

We're not supposed to play favorites, but I know what she means. Little Mary does look like she could use some TLC. She's clearly anxious and might not even know what's going on. Not all parents are adept at preparing their children for all-day kindergarten.

Once Rosalie leaves, I close the door and walk to the front of the room. Most of the students are watching me closely, but for the ones who aren't, I clap my hands softly.

"Okay, boys and girls. Who's ready to start the day? I think I'm ready to sing a few songs."

...

The morning passes quickly, as most first days do. We play a few name games to get to know each other, color a "Welcome to Kindergarten" picture and even draw pictures of our favorite animals. Recess is another thing all together, and I'm glad I won't be going out with them every day. The fine mist isn't enough to deter them, but I'd rather not sit out in it.

Before lunch, there's a tour of the school and then we head down to the cafeteria to eat. Rose's class and my class share a large table, so we're able to sit close to each other as we watch our students. Our mornings have been very similar, and the afternoon promises to be the same.

Nap time is a bit of a struggle since the excitement level is still pretty high, but most of mine go down without a fight. I don't believe for a second that they'll all be sleeping, but at least they're calm. The only one not lying down is little Mary, but I think I know why.

"Sweetheart, do you not have a mat?" I ask softly as I sit on my knees beside her. She shakes her head, sniffling softly. "Oh, it's okay. I'm sure I can find a special one just for you." Her eyes meet mine, and she smiles, one of the few real smiles I've been able to coax out of her.

Even after half of a day, I know something's special about this girl. She's quiet, but even shy Bella has been interacting with the class. Mary has yet to say anything, and though I haven't been forcing her, I'm grasping at straws.

Just like I promised her, I find a pink princess mat in one of my closets. I have a few that were donated after the end of last year. They've been cleaned and disinfected, so they're ready to be used for anyone who needs one. I'm not sure if Mary's parents didn't buy her one or simply forgot to give it to her today, but either way, I've got her covered.

I place the mat next to Bella's, and Mary lies down without me having to ask.

With everyone down, I can take a moment for myself. I check my school email and go over my lesson plan for tomorrow. It basically consists of the same types of things, as will the rest of the week. Sometimes getting to know all of the students is the hardest part since I want to do the best I can in order for them to succeed.

Unfortunately, nap time never seems to last long enough. When the forty-five minutes are over, most of the kids are busting at the seams to get up. I wake the few that are actually napping, including Mary. She looks so peaceful as she sleeps, and I hate to wake her, but it's story time.

When we're all sitting in a circle, I begin reading the first book. After it, I continue reading until the parents begin to arrive. The first day is the only time they're allowed to come into the school to pick up their kids, so I let them have their fun. The kids are always so excited to show their parents what they did on the first today, and this batch is no different.

I summarize our day for the parents, and the kids give them their animal drawings. Everyone leaves happy and excited about the next day which thrills me. I never want a child to dread coming into my classroom. Here we have fun and learn at the same time.

My school day drags on a bit more with some of the more unpleasant faculty duties, but eventually, Rose and I walk out together.

The drive home flies by, and then I'm back in Carlisle's arms as soon as I walk in the door.

"I missed you, baby," he says into my hair, hugging me tightly.

I giggle and snuggle into his chest. "I was only gone eight hours. But…I missed you too."

"It was eight hours too long. I didn't know how I was going to survive without you."

I snort. "You're feeling awfully corny today. Good thing you have to work tomorrow too."

"You wound me, dearest," he says as he pulls me away from his chest. "I love you, though, so I guess I'll keep you."

"Of course you will." I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him once, twice, and three quick times before he deepens the kiss until I'm pressed against the wall.

If this is the way I'll be welcomed home for the rest of the school year, then I can't wait for tomorrow.

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><p><strong>AN: Welcome to my fun little project! **

**This started out as a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone late one night. I've been working on it for a few months, mostly when I had writer's block with Perfect Love, and I'm finally ready to share. PL readers, I offer this in thanks for being so patient with me. And don't worry - it won't take up any of my already sparse writing time. **

**This fic is entirely self-serving, as all of mine are, but hopefully you guys like to read what I like to read ;). The research done on this was slim to none, so forgive any inaccuracies. **

**You can expect regular Monday, Wednesday, Friday updates as long as FFn cooperates.**

**A million bazillion thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making my words pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and encouraging.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>I survive the first week of school with ease. My class this year really is fantastic. I knew for sure by the third day. They're all eager to learn and make my job so much fun, so it's no surprise that the second week passes just as quickly as the first.<p>

Rosalie has a good class this year too, and we trade all of our best stories every week. We also bitch about the principal but mostly we have good things to say about our students and the crazy things they do. I have a little boy who tries to glue construction paper onto his neighbors whenever we have craft time, and she has a little girl who walks around with her dress pulled up over her head. Dull moments in kindergarten are few and far between, that's for sure.

Carlisle also hears all of my fun stories and seems to enjoy them. He usually gets home before me, so as soon as I walk in the door, we have some stress-relieving fun before we talk about our day over dinner. Even after two years of marriage, the excitement for and about each other is still there, and the support is there too. He's always ready to cheer me up if I have a bad day, but so far that hasn't happened.

It's now the third week of school, and the students have finally settled in with our schedule and routine, which says that it's now time for recess. I playfully shoo them out with the teacher who will be watching them, thankful that it isn't me. The weather is about to change and become even wetter and colder, but until then, the kids have to wear their coats and deal with the drizzle.

I have no idea why the school hasn't changed the policy, but they want the kids to have as much time outside before winter as possible. As soon as a parent complains about a sick child, I'm sure they'll change their mind.

Just as I'm about to work on my lesson plans, I have visitors at my desk.

I turn to them and smile. "What can I do for you ladies?"

Bella giggles and covers her mouth with her hand that isn't holding Mary's. "Mrs. Esme Cullen, me and Allie wanna help you. We don't wanna go outside aaaaanymore."

I love how Bella addresses me, never sure what's appropriate for the situation. Using the title along with both names has her covered for anything.

I look at their pleading faces, and I'm torn as to what I should do. This is supposed to be my time for planning, but I can't exactly send them outside when they refuse to go. Besides, Mary's so tiny that I'm afraid she'll catch pneumonia in the cold and wet. Apparently I already have my answer.

"Help me, huh? Well, what would you like to help me with?"

They both look around the room until Mary's gaze lands on the small book shelf. She points and waits for Bella to see.

Something about this girl tugs at my heart. By looking at her clothes, it's obvious that her family isn't very well-off, but she always seems to be clean and has a lunch. She's quiet, though, and it's almost unnatural. Most children who are shy, like Bella, will communicate with me by this point in the school year. Mary has yet to speak unless I've asked her a question; however, I can tell she's very intelligent. Maybe my worry is unneeded, but I can't help it.

"Ooooh can we fix the books?" Bella requests after noticing her friend's idea.

I nod. The bookshelf is a bit disorganized from Friday afternoon's circle time. "Sure you can. Make sure they're nice and neat for me, okay? Thank you, girls."

"Okay, Mrs. Esme Cullen. Come on, Allie!" They run off, sit down in front of the shelf, and start pulling the books off.

I chuckle to myself and go back to my planning but suddenly realize something. Bella calls Mary by a different name – _Allie_. But since they sit together and seem like good friends, I doubt she's wrong.

Glancing at my class roster, I scan the names and find the one I'm looking for. Mary _Alice _Brandon. Now I feel horrible. I didn't even ask her if she preferred another name, but I guess better late than never.

"Mary?" I call, and she immediately turns to look at me. "Sweetheart, would you like for me to call you Alice? Is that the name you go by?"

Her blue eyes brighten and she nods as a smile tugs at the corner of her lips.

I can't believe this one little gesture has made her so happy, but I'm ecstatic too. Her smile is a rare gem to be treasured, and I want to do anything I can to sustain it.

"In that case, I'm so sorry, Miss Alice. You let me know if I get anything else wrong, okay?"

She looks down shyly but nods. The smile is clearly still on her lips though, and I feel drawn to her.

Lesson plans can definitely wait. I leave my desk and slowly walk toward the girls.

"Can I work with you two too?" I ask as I sit on the floor beside them. My syntax makes them laugh, and they agree to let me help.

Alice gravitates toward me as we work until our legs are touching and she's leaning against me. I'm constantly reminding myself not to play favorites but it's in vain with this little girl. She has captured me completely.

The three of us giggle and organize books until recess is over. The bookshelf looks much better now, and I can't stop smiling. These girls could light up any room when they're having a good time, and I had just as much fun as they did.

My happiness seems to make the day go by even faster than usual, and I'm sad to see the kids leave, but it's only Monday. I'll see them four more days this week.

Once I'm home, I can't wait to tell Carlisle everything that happened with Alice, but I can't find him. His car is in the driveway and his keys are on the kitchen counter, but the house is silent.

"Carlisle," I call, "are you here?"

No one answers me, so I drop my bags in the living room before slowly walking upstairs. I relax a little when I see his scrub pants lying on the bottom step followed by his boxer briefs on the top step. His scrub top is in our bedroom doorway, and his t-shirt is in front of the closed bathroom door. He's teasing today. I love it.

"Excuse me, have you seen my husband?" I ask as I open the bathroom door.

"Hmm…" Carlisle hums from his place in our spa tub which is filled with bubbles and him. "I'm not sure if I've seen him, ma'am, but maybe I can be of service?" His eyes gleam as he watches me, and a familiar tingle goes up my spine.

"Well…I dunno. I think only my husband can help me right now." I pull the blouse over my head, tossing it to the side before my hands trail up to my breasts. I unhook the front clasp of my bra and let the sides fall away as I enjoy his now-hungry gaze.

He licks his lips and swallows. "Maybe you can look for him under the water."

My pants and panties are soon at my feet and I stalk over to the tub. "Make room for me then, sir."

Carlisle opens his arms and welcomes me into his lap with kisses on my neck and lips. "Welcome home, baby."

I sigh and settle in against him. All playfulness leaves me for the moment as I relax. My husband and the warm water surround me, erasing any stress of the day and my worries.

"Thank you for this," I say softly, closing my eyes. "You always know just what I need."

"I try," he says with a shrug. "And I love spending this time with you, especially when we're naked."

"Yes. Especially then." I squirm on his lap which earns me a groan.

"So…did you find your husband yet?"

I shake my head. "Nope. But you'll do."

He growls and quickly turns me so that I'm facing him. His gentle side comes out as he cups my face in his hands and kisses me softly, but I'm sure my eyes are sparkling and alive since I know what's to come.

Thirty minutes later, most of the cool water has been sloshed in the floor. We really need to learn to put towels down before we get in the bathtub together.

I dress in a pair of panties and some of Carlisle's boxers and one of his t-shirts. He stays in the bathroom to clean up the mess while I go downstairs to start dinner. We're good at delegating these tasks.

After dinner, we snuggle together in Carlisle's recliner with a blanket over us as we discuss our separate jobs. His day seems to have gone as well as mine, and I'm happy to hear it. He's just as happy about my good report.

"Maybe she's starting to open up to you?" he suggests about Alice.

"I hope so. I just feel so bad that I've been calling her the wrong name all this time."

He kisses my cheek and rests his forehead against my temple. "There's no way you could have known if she didn't correct you. But you've fixed it now. That's all that matters. She knows you're on her side."

I can only hope that he's right. But since my husband is a smart man, I'll try my best to believe him.

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><p><strong>AN: I never imagined this little story would get the response that it has. You guys are so, so lovely, and I can never thank you enough for your kind words and alerts. I love that you're loving the story.**

**A million bazillion thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping. They're the best.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading. See you on Friday!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

***** This chapter contains sensitive content. Nothing horribly graphic, but sensitive all the same *****

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><p>Carlisle is…mostly right. Alice does become more comfortable around me once I know her preferred name. Though she remains introverted and quiet, I'm able to coax a few words and smiles from her every day. I haven't figured out why I'm so drawn to this particular little girl, but I'm not questioning it anymore.<p>

Alice is always in my head even though I don't outwardly show any favoritism. I've only known her for a few weeks, but I think she's in my heart too. That might be because she's one of the sweetest girls I've ever taught.

Every morning, she's the first to arrive. She always comes over to my desk first thing, not saying anything, but just waiting and watching. Observation is definitely one of her skills, as is patience. Those aren't qualities I see often in a five year old.

Since she likes to spend so much time with me, I've been noticing other things about her. Generally, Alice is hesitant around adults but not her classmates. If another teacher comes into the room, she lays her head down on her desk.

She's also tired everyday and would probably sleep well past nap time if I could let her. I so wish I could. Somehow, she's always pleasant when I wake her, and I make sure to give her a big hug when the other kids are distracted. I have a feeling the extra attention is benefiting her more than my teaching.

And to top everything off, lately she hasn't had a lunch. The first time it happened last week, I bought her a school lunch as soon as I saw her tears of embarrassment. After the second time, I started asking Carlisle to put extra food in my lunch. Alice enjoys eating a turkey sandwich with me much more than eating the cafeteria food.

I've talked to Rosalie and Carlisle about all of these things I've seen, but they can't make a connection either. I've tried contacting the Brandons with phone calls and notes, but nothing works. I just feel like I'm missing something very important.

Since it's Wednesday, I plan to talk to the principal on Friday for sure. I need to see how the rest of the week goes. My concerns can't be unfounded when I do say something.

The morning goes smoothly, if not slightly chaotic. Assemblies first thing in the morning always interrupt the usual flow. This time, it was about a fundraiser the school is doing, and the promise of toy prizes has all of my students in a tizzy. We barely make it through alphabet time with their extra energy, and I'm beyond happy to send them to recess.

Alice waits around after everyone leaves. Bella is out sick today, so I'm expecting this. I usually let the two of them stay with me on Fridays, but I'm not going to send Alice without her best friend.

As soon as the room is clear, I close the door and go over to take Alice's hand. "Let's go sit on the carpet, sweetheart."

She follows eagerly and sits beside me on the carpet. I reach over to the bookshelf and pull out a book that I think she'll like.

"Do you want to read with me?" I ask, smiling as she nods and scoots closer.

She listens with rapt attention as I read and laughs every time I have to read a tongue-twister. I picked Dr. Seuss, so there are plenty of laughs coming from Miss Alice. It warms my heart to hear her be carefree, even if it's for just a minute or two.

When I finish the first book, she's rubbing her eyes and yawning. I check the clock, and smile when I see that we have enough time left for to take a quick nap.

"Alice," I say softly, "would you like to sit in my lap?" She's already sitting as close to me as she can get, but I want her to be as comfortable as possible.

She looks up at me with wide eyes and nods, almost in disbelief. I open my arms, and she crawls over. She sighs as she gets comfortable, and I wrap my arms around her and hug her gently. I pull another book from the shelf and start reading, slowly rocking from side to side as I do.

It doesn't take long for her head to begin dropping until it's resting against my arm. I stop reading and continue rocking for a few more minutes. With her in my arms, I can tell exactly how tiny she is, and it worries me. There's no way she's at a normal weight for her age even with her height. I make up my mind right then to speak to the principal at the end of the day. Something just isn't right with this precious girl.

I remain on the floor, holding Alice as she sleeps until recess is almost over. I wake her just in time, and she rewards me with a smile even though I disturbed her. My heart feels like it expands and breaks at the same time.

It's hard for me to focus for the rest of the day, but I manage to make it through lunch without the kids noticing any difference. They're good at speaking their minds, so I'm sure I would have heard any possible complaints.

Thankfully, everyone goes down for nap time without too much fuss. Even Alice manages to fall asleep again. I really want to talk to Rose about my concerns, so I watch them for fifteen minutes before heading toward the door. But before I get there, I hear the first whimper. I wait a few seconds and hear another one. I scan the dark room then walk around. I have to shush a couple of my boys who are whispering loudly, but everyone else is quiet.

Everyone until I get to Alice. She's whimpering and restless, tossing and turning as she sleeps. I kneel down beside her mat and gently touch her shoulder.

"Alice, wake up, sweetheart," I whisper. "Shh…it's okay. Let's wake up now."

She jolts awake and sits up. Tears fill her eyes, so I reach over to grab her hand.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I say again. "Were you having a bad dream?"

Instead of answering, she shifts around then looks up at me as her tears stream faster. Suddenly, her whimpers turn into full-out cries, and my eyes widen.

"Alice, what's wrong? Can you tell me?"

She cries louder as she crosses her legs and tries to turn from me. All of a sudden, it hits me. She wet herself in her sleep and doesn't want me to know.

"Oh, sweetheart," I sigh. "It'll be okay. We'll get you cleaned up right now." I place my hands under her arms and gently lift her to her feet, but instead of standing, she reaches for me. I don't even have to think twice about lifting her into my arms. She pushes her head against my neck as her cries change back to sniffly whimpers, and I carefully stand.

I weave my way around the other students so I can get to the cubbies in the back of the room. Every student is supposed to have an extra change of clothes, but when I look in Alice's, I don't see any. Thinking quickly, I go to Bella's cubby and grab her extra clothes. They'll probably be too big, but it's better than nothing.

Once I have the clothes, I go over to Rosalie's room. She's sitting at her desk but notices me right away and comes to the door.

"What's going on?" she asks, worry clear on her face.

"Just a little accident," I explain in a whisper. "Can you watch my class for a few minutes?"

She immediately agrees and rubs Alice's back before I rush us to the faculty bathroom. At least we'll have some privacy in here.

After locking the door, I grab some paper towels and wet them before kneeling down. I somehow convince Alice to stand on her own and start to help her take her shirt off. Surprisingly, she shakes her head forcefully and tries to back away.

"It's okay, Alice. We're just going to borrow Bella's pretty dress, and you'll be good as new," I explain. "Let's take yours off now, okay?"

She shakes her head as her cries increase in volume but she doesn't try to move away from me again.

Since she isn't moving, I try to quickly lift the shirt over her head. But when I do, I'm faced with something I've never seen before in my entire life.

Bruises. All different sizes and varying colors and stages. They're completely _covering _this sweet little girl's torso. I don't want to see this, but I can't turn away. My trance is only broken when Alice's cries become even louder, and my eyes snap up to meet hers.

What I see breaks my already broken heart. She looks so _afraid_…and right now, she's afraid of _me_.

"No, no, no, sweetheart. Don't be afraid. I won't _ever_hurt you, darling." My voice is breaking, but I need her to understand. There's no way I could lay a finger on this child. I don't see how anyone could.

I sit down on the floor and open my arms. She has the option to back against the wall or come to me, and I have to muffle a sob when she chooses to fling herself into my arms.

She wraps her arms tightly around my neck and cries against me. I don't have any words to make her feel better, so I settle on quietly humming and rocking back and forth.

I really want to cry right along with her. All of the pieces in my head come together to form a complete puzzle. The uninvolved parents, lack of lunch money, fear of strangers, her introverted personality…it all connects, and I hate that I haven't said anything sooner. And I don't even want to know why she's not getting enough sleep at night.

I'm so confused and angry. The sweetest little girl I've ever met is obviously being treated like a punching bag. I know if Carlisle and I had a daughter, she would be the most loved child in the world. Why aren't her actual parents the same way?

I don't know how long we've been sitting in the floor rocking and crying, but I don't want Rose to wonder where I am.

"Alice," I say softly and wait for her cries to lessen. "Alice, let's finish changing real quick, okay? I'm sure dry clothes will feel better."

She nods her permission but doesn't move. That's fine with me, and I manage to clean her up and get the new clothes on her in record time. When I'm finished, I bag her soiled clothes, stand, and wash my hands.

She shakes against me as I head to the door, but I don't want her to be scared anymore. School is one place that I know she'll be safe. It's what's coming in about two hours that has me worried.

Gently, I rub circles on her back before lifting her head so I can see her. Those blue eyes are filled with everything a five year old should never be feeling. I wipe her face with a paper towel, but that doesn't help a whole lot since she's still crying.

I kiss her forehead and cup her cheek. "We'll make it all better, sweetheart," I say, trying to swallow down the lump in my throat. "I promise."

She nods then whimpers as she wraps her arms and legs around me like she never wants to let go. I know the feeling so my arms hold her to me just as tightly.

As I walk us to the principal's office, I pray I haven't just told the biggest lie of my life.

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><p><strong>AN: April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month here in the US. In 2010, an estimated 695,000 children fell victim to maltreatment, most including abuse or neglect. **The main goals of prevention include increasing awareness and strengthening families and communities.****

**I hope this story, while mostly just for enjoyment, also helps increase awareness. It isn't based on a true story, even though it has probably happened much more than once. While Alice isn't real, there are little girls and boys out there who are like her. But they might not have Esmes to advocate for them. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, you can contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency for them to assess the situation.**

**Now that we're done with the heavy...I know this ending seems like a cliffy but just trust. Also, FFn was having some issues Wednesday, but hopefully they're resolved today. Be sure you read Chapter 2 if you weren't able to when it posted.**

**A million zillion thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ and_ anhanninen_. They're practically perfect in every way with their help.**

**And thanks to all of you awesome readers! Your reviews make my day so much brighter. ****See you on Monday!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>I've been useless for twenty hours, possibly the longest twenty hours of my life. I'm numb as I sit at my desk, staring at my cell phone as I hope for a call that probably won't come.<p>

When I took Alice to the principal's office yesterday, my life shifted. If I didn't realize my connection to the little girl before, I definitely do now. Everything is different.

Alice stuck to me like glue as I talked to Mrs. James, never lifting her head from my chest. I don't think Heidi wanted to take me seriously at first, but regardless of her petty grudge against me, she needed to listen. When she finally did, she was just as shocked as I was, and when I managed to show her some of the bruises, I was sure she was ready to hunt down the Brandons herself.

The two hours after that were mostly a blur. Heidi was required to contact child protective services, and miraculously, they had someone in the office within thirty minutes. I was so glad it was a woman who came because Alice was beyond frightened already.

Charlotte Brown was nice enough and tried her best to put Alice at ease while she asked question after question. By the time she finished, she managed to get more information from Alice than I anticipated. It was more than enough to have her immediately removed from her home.

Alice's mommy and daddy hit her _every day_– something I still can't comprehend a day after hearing it.

But I don't think that's what hurt Alice the most yesterday.

She calmed enough after the questions had ended to almost fall asleep in my arms as I rocked her. I was her safe place, and I loved it. We were in our own little bubble in the corner of the office. I think I talked softly to her as I tried to make her feel even a little bit better.

It all blurs together because a few minutes later, Charlotte ripped her from my arms. Maybe it wasn't as bad as the picture that's burned into my brain. Maybe Alice didn't kick and fight harder than should be possible for a girl of her size. Maybe she didn't scream for me, surprising me with the fact that she has the sweetest speech impediment. Maybe she didn't cry until she gagged and then cry some more as Charlotte carried her out of the school. And maybe she didn't look at me with those wide blue eyes and beg me without words to take her back into my arms.

I shake my head to break myself from the constant loop of images in my head. If I don't stop now, I'll be crying in the middle of class. There's no way the kids will understand. They probably think Alice is out sick just like Bella, if they even think of Alice at all. That thought brings down my mood even more.

Carlisle did his best to cheer me up last night. Since I was an hour late getting home, he showed up at the school to find me. Rosalie had stayed late too so Emmett arrived shortly after Carlisle. They all had the opportunity to see my utter devastation, and though most of them had never seen me so low, they all gave me the support that I needed. Family is everything to us, and something I wish Alice had too.

I've been numb since Carlisle took me home yesterday evening. I probably shouldn't even be here, but I'm trying my best. These kids need me, no matter how much a certain other little girl might need me more.

The only hope I have came from a phone call this morning. Charlotte had her hands full last night with an inconsolable Alice, and it was even worse once she took her to the hospital to get checked out. I know she's just doing her job, but I really want to slap her. Let's just completely traumatize the child, shall we?

But at least Alice is safe right now. Her parents have been taken into custody, and Charlotte is going to call me back to let me know if I can visit Alice before she's placed in a new home. She's breaking some rules, I'm sure, but I can't bring myself to care.

By nap time, I'm antsy and want to throw my phone against the wall because it won't ring. Just as I'm about to seriously consider it, the familiar vibration begins against the desk. I snatch it up and head to the door.

Charlotte's words mostly blend together, but I try to comment appropriately. I'm too afraid of what she's saying to listen closely until she mentions pediatrics visiting policies and a room number. With this information, I smile for the first time in almost a day.

When two o'clock arrives, I rush out, knowing Rosalie will include my class in her circle time and get them to their buses and cars. I just can't wait another minute.

Another good thing about a small town is that everything is close together. The drive to the hospital only takes ten minutes, and the elevator ride to the second floor only takes ten seconds thanks to the slow people who are walking in front of me.

I walk down the hallway, watching the room numbers closely until I find 214. I take a deep breath and prepare to knock, but before I can, I hear a familiar voice on the other side of the door.

What's Carlisle doing here?

I quietly open the door and peek in, gasping softly as I take in the scene in front of me.

Charlotte's sitting in a chair in the corner, smiling as she reads some files. Alice looks so tiny in the big hospital bed, but that isn't surprising. What is surprising is Carlisle kneeling by the bed having a conversation with my favorite student.

"Oh, yeah? I like puzzles too. Do you like puzzles of…princesses?"

Alice answers his question with a nod. I can't believe she's communicating with a stranger.

"Well that sounds cool, but I don't think I can say that I've done a princess puzzle before. Can you do that with me sometime?"

She nods again and reaches out to pat his hand. "Miss Cuwen?"

Carlisle's smile softens. "Of course, sweetheart. I'm sure Miss Cullen would love to play puzzle with us. In fact, I think she's here to play with you right now."

My eyes have been watering since I heard her whisper my name, but when she turns to me and flashes me a huge grin, there's no way I can stop the tears from flowing down my cheeks.

"Carlisle, what are you doing with my favorite girl?" I ask, attempting to clear the lump from my throat.

He smiles knowingly and winks. "I was just keeping her company while she waited for you. You've kept the girl waiting long enough."

I enter the room and close the door behind me. "I'm so sorry, precious. Can I make it up to you with…some cookies?"

Her smile brightens as she nods, so I walk over to the bed. I kiss Carlisle's head then hold my arms out for a hug from my favorite girl. She doesn't waste any time before wrapping herself around me, and much like yesterday, I don't think she wants to ever release me.

I notice that she isn't hooked to any kind of tubes or monitors, so I carry her over to the small couch under the window. After almost twenty-four hours, I feel like myself again. Having Alice in my arms and seeing that she's safe takes that numb feeling away.

"I missed you today, sweetheart," I say into her hair. "Did you have a good day with Miss Charlotte?"

"Hey, what about me?" Carlisle interrupts. "I'm way cooler than Charlotte. We talked about princesses and a bunch of other fun stuff. Didn't we, Allie cat?"

Alice giggles into my neck before leaning back and nodding.

"Sweetheart, did you meet my silly husband? He's so crazy."

"Not crazy. I'm fun," he insists. "I'm the funnest dude here. All the kids love me."

"Yeah, but then they fall asleep on you, don't they?" It's our inside joke. Being a pediatric nurse anesthetist, it's his job to put the kids under. They're all pretty loopy when they see him, so I tease him about not really knowing if he's a favorite among the kids or not.

He sighs and shakes his head sadly. "You're killing me, wifey. I bet I'm Alice's favorite dude here, aren't I?"

Alice is watching our exchange carefully but she's been giggling almost the whole time. She isn't hesitant around us which surprises me. Carlisle's a stranger, and we're in an unfamiliar environment. I have no idea what's going through her mind, but it's okay. I'll gladly wait for her to share her thoughts voluntarily.

This is not how I imagined spending my afternoon. Alice's good mood is the best surprise, but I had prepared myself to deal with more fear and pain.

Instead, Carlisle, Alice, and I spend the afternoon eating cookies. Carlisle and I joke and tease, which Alice seems to enjoy too. This is like our usual afternoons except we're fully clothed and a child is with us.

It's different, but I think I like it. I just don't know what these thoughts mean for any of us.

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><p><strong>AN: Hopefully this makes up for that last ending. ;)**

**Thank you so much to everyone who's still with me. Your reviews put the best smile on my face.**

**And lots and lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping. **

**Feel free to let me know what you think of the chapter. See you on Wednesday! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them. **

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><p>Every afternoon I've ever spent with Carlisle has been a good one, but today is somehow even better with the addition of Alice. She is our focus as we read, joke, and snack together.<p>

I can imagine what it must feel like to be a five year old in a strange place. Once when I was a little girl, I lost track of my mother in the grocery store. We were only separated by one aisle in the end, but the produce section starred in my nightmares for weeks. But Alice's situation is totally different. I was surrounded by fruits and vegetables on large stands, but she's surrounded by doctors, nurses, and a cold, sterile environment. She hasn't seen her parents since yesterday morning, but from what I can tell, that isn't bothering her. This is the happiest I've seen her since I've known her.

The fact that she hasn't asked her parents should probably be surprising, but I'm honestly not surprised in the least. Why would she want to ask about those monsters in her life? I want to tell her that she'll never have to be with them again, but since Charlotte hasn't said anything concrete on the subject, I decide it's better to wait. Alice deserves a loving home, and I just hope Charlotte can find one for her.

Carlisle and I don't want to go home for dinner, so he goes to pick us up some takeout from one of our favorite restaurants.

Charlotte isn't exactly approving, and I'm not sure why. We've known her since high school and even went out to dinner with her and her husband a couple of months ago. Now that she's done this one small favor for me, we're getting the raised eyebrow of disapproval. We're not doing anything wrong – just cheering up a little girl who doesn't have anyone else right now. I don't see anything wrong with that.

When Carlisle returns with dinner, Alice's stomach growls loudly.

"Whoa, sweetheart. What's living in your tummy?" I ask as I reach across the couch to tickle her feet. She giggles which is music to my ears.

Carlisle puts the food on the small table and comes over to kneel down beside us.

"Hmm…I wonder if there's a bear in her tummy," he ponders, as if to himself. He places his head next to her and listens closely. "Yep. I think it's a bear. Good thing I brought some food for it. What do tummy bears like to eat, Allie cat? Do they like…spaghetti?"

Alice nods and cuddles a little closer to me. Carlisle smiles at her, but I can see the hurt in his eyes. This is the first time she's shown any fear toward either of us, so I can understand his pain.

I reach over to cup his face, shaking my head slightly. I don't think she's afraid of him. He just came too close to her poor little bruised body. She has to be sore after all of that abuse and maybe wondering when it will all continue. That will never happen if I have anything to do with it. So far, I haven't broken my promise to her and I want to keep it that way.

Carlisle cheers up when he sees Alice's reaction to the plate full of spaghetti he bought her. With her tiny body size, I suspect she hasn't been fed properly by her so called parents. I'm sure Charlotte made sure she ate the hospital food last night and today, but that's nothing compared to a good home-cooked meal. Alice needs one of those and soon.

We all enjoy the food, and even Charlotte loosens up a little to talk and laugh with us. Alice eats cautiously at first, but after we encourage her a couple of times, she eats like someone's going to steal her plate. My gut feeling tells me that it's happened before, but I don't want to think about that. Alice is safe now, and that's all that matters.

At the end of our meal, Carlisle and Charlotte clean up our mess while I clean Alice. Spaghetti sauce covers the front of her gown and face, not to mention the few splatters in her hair. I try not to laugh as I carry her to the bathroom, but it's hard to stop when she looks so cute.

"Precious, I think you might have gotten more sauce on your face than in your tummy," I tease. "Silly girl."

I chuckle softly until I get to the bathroom and realize that Alice isn't laughing with me. She's shaking and hiding her face against my shoulder. I turn the light on and shift her weight to the front of my body.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I ask softly. "Can you tell me why you're scared?"

She shakes her head, refusing to look at me.

"Please, Alice? If you tell me, I can try to make it better. You don't ever have to be afraid with me or Carlisle. You're safe now." I can never say that enough. I'll be saying it until she believes me.

She raises her head slowly until our eyes meet. Hers are so full of fear, and I hope mine convey how much I care. Before I can ask her again, her arms are around my neck and her face is tucked next to my chest. I sway and hum, relaxing as she relaxes.

"All right, sweetheart," I whisper, kissing her head. "You don't have to tell me what's wrong. Let's just get you changed so we can lie down and rest, okay?"

Immediately, her shaking resumes. This time, I connect the dots, remembering how she reacted when I tried to change her yesterday. Removing her clothes was more than likely a prequel to some of the abuse. My realization has me close to tears, but I need her to see that nothing like that will happen now.

"Alice, can you listen to me? Nothing's going to happen. We're just going to put a clean gown on and wash your face. I promise, baby. I won't hurt you. Ever."

She sniffles but doesn't move. Either she's too afraid to let me know how she feels or she's listening to me. The best way to earn her trust is to show her, so I take a deep breath and set her on the counter.

As quickly as I can with her wrapped around me, I remove the soiled gown and replace it with the clean one. Once it's tied securely and my arms are around her again, she finally relaxes. It's much easier to wash her face now that I have her trust for the moment, and soon, the orange stain around her mouth is no more and her hair is free of splatter.

The panicking has completely worn her out, so as soon as she potties, I carry her back into the room and lie down on the bed.

Carlisle dims the lights for us and gently kisses Alice's forehead. "Thank you for letting me spend the day with you, Miss Alice," he whispers. "I had so much fun with you. Can we play again sometime?"

"Kay, Carwile," she says softly.

My heart completely melts. This little girl has total control over it after all. Two words from her almost reduce me to tears.

Carlisle looks a little teary himself as he goes over to sit on the couch next to Charlotte. He rubs his eyes, trying to act like he has something in his contacts. But I know that he doesn't even wear contacts.

We're both in so deep.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm still blown away by the support this story has received. I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying it!**

**Lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping. **

**Feel free to let me know what you think. See you on Friday!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>"You realize this is bad, right?" Charlotte whispers once Alice is asleep.<p>

Carlisle arches his eyebrow. "What's bad?"

"You guys can't do this. You can't get attached to this little girl."

I'm too happy to provide her with a response. Alice couldn't get comfortable on the bed beside me, so she decided to curl up on my chest. Her head is tucked right under mine, and she's completely still and peaceful. As I rub her back and place a few kisses on the top of her head, I can't help but think how perfect this is.

"Charlotte," Carlisle starts softly, "I'm not going to lie and say we don't care about this girl. But she needs someone to, especially here. I've seen how scared kids can get when they aren't here alone. She needs the support."

Charlotte sighs. "And that's fine, but you two are doing a lot more than just offering support. And honestly, I don't even know where she'll go after this or if it will even be in the area. I've been searching all day but haven't found a suitable family yet. I don't want to be the one to break your hearts."

It's too late for that in my case. Just the thought of her not being in my class anymore has shattered me. But before I can protest, Carlisle beats me to it.

"So don't."

"What?" Charlotte and I ask at the same time, a bit louder than we should with a sleeping child in the room.

"Don't be the one to break our hearts. Let us have her."

"Carlisle…" I whisper. "What…how…?"

He smiles as he stands and comes over to kneel by the bed. "I see how you look at her, Esme. You _really _care about this little girl. I could see it yesterday when you had your heart ripped out in the school parking lot. That's why I came and found her today when I got off work. I needed to see if I had the same connection with her. And…I do."

"You…you do?" I ask with a sniffle.

He chuckles. "It's kind of hard not to connect with her. Allie cat is amazing, but she's hurting. We could give her a chance to just be a carefree kindergartener. I think it could work."

"Just a second, you two," Charlotte interrupts. "I can't just let you take Alice home with you. There's a system that has to be followed. You guys aren't even foster parents. I've broken so many rules already."

She's right, of course. I want to hate her for ruining our moment. Carlisle's right about how much I care for Alice, and his idea – while a little impulsive – is a good one. We could give her a good home.

"What does it take to be a foster parent?" I ask.

"Tons of paperwork," she answers, rolling her eyes. "Most of it necessary, some of it not. The bureaucracy is ridiculous."

Carlisle turns to look at her. "So what are the necessary parts?"

"Well, the background checks are important, as is the financial statement. There's also an interview to make sure the prospective parents are emotionally sound and prepared for children. And I guess the home study is important too. We have to make sure the kids are in a safe place. Everything else is nit-picky and probably not needed."

"So let's do all of that," Carlisle exclaims, and I shush him. Alice hasn't stirred, but I don't want to take a chance of waking her during this important conversation.

"It's not that easy, Carlisle," Charlotte says, shaking her head. "It can take months to have all of that paperwork finalized, and I need to find somewhere for her to go by tomorrow afternoon."

I'm still not understanding. "But why would we even need all of that with our jobs? We both had background checks before we could even be hired, and with our jobs, any kind of legal issues could have us fired."

Carlisle turns back around and surprises me by kissing me soundly on the lips. "Wifey, you're a genius. I love you so much."

I smile and shake my head. "Thank you…?"

He chuckles. "You're very welcome. Now, Charlotte, my wife has a good point. You know we're free of any wrong-doings, and you also know that we're financially stable. You've been to our house less than three months ago, and you know we're _emotionally sound _and good with Alice. See? What's stopping you?"

Charlotte seems to be speechless. Apparently she didn't expect us to find loopholes in all of her reasoning.

"Well, I can't really…I guess it wouldn't be right…you haven't planned… The law says…"

"Give us a better reason, Char," Carlisle taunts, reaching over to grab my hand. He squeezes tightly as we both hope that she's listening with an open mind. It has to be obvious that we want this so much.

After an eternity of her trying to make up her mind, she releases a heavy sigh and nods. "Okay, look. I'll try my best to make this work, but please don't be too disappointed if it doesn't. As much as I want to help you, I really don't want to lose my job."

"And we don't expect you to," I assure her. "We just want the chance. She needs a good home more than anything. Forget about the rules and think about her wellbeing."

"Please," Carlisle says. "Just do whatever you can, and we'll handle the rest. She's a kid who's hurting, and I think that's much more important than some rules that will just send her to a strange place with people she doesn't know."

"Okay, okay," she says, raising her hands defensively. "Like I said, I'll do my best. I think you might actually have a chance, but I'll know for sure tomorrow morning. Unless…" She thinks for a few seconds, then nods determinedly. "You know what? I'm not going to make you wait. Excuse me for just a sec while I make a quick call."

As Charlotte leaves the room, I'm afraid to breathe.

"Carlisle?" I whisper, and he turns to me. "Are we really going to do this?"

He nods and places a kiss on my knuckles. "I'm in if you're in. There's just something special about her, you know? I have this…_need _to make her happy and show her that not every adult will hurt her. And I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, but I just had to get it out. I've been thinking about what it would be like to take her home with us, and I really like the picture in my mind."

I take a moment to imagine it too. Our spare bedroom becoming Alice's and filling with toys and clothes. Alice leaving with me for school every morning and coming home with me every afternoon. Morning cuddles in our king size bed. Quiet bedtime baths and stories every night. Both of us kissing her goodnight. Hearing her sweet little voice all the time.

It really is a beautiful picture, and I want it. I want it more than I've ever wanted anything except Carlisle. But they're almost tied. I just need it to happen.

"Carlisle…," I whisper again, squeezing his hand tighter as I lose my voice.

He nods in understanding. "I know, baby. I know. We need this. _Alice _needs this. Let's just wait for what Charlotte has to say."

I swallow and nod. Our future will be determined by what Charlotte says. I've never been more afraid in all of my twenty-five years of life.

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><p><strong>AN: This story is pre-written, and I honestly did not plan for the cliffy endings to be posted on Friday. Sorry about that. Just trust, mmkay?**

**Lots of thanks to **_**MelissaMargaret**_** for making this pretty and to **_**anhanninen**_** for prereading and pimping.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading! See you on Monday!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>Small towns are great…until it's after nine pm and you need to go shopping. Which is why we're now on our way to the Wal-Mart in Port Angeles.<p>

With Charlotte's blessing – along with the Clallam County CPS – we're taking Alice home with us as soon as she's discharged from the hospital tomorrow afternoon.

The only problem with that is that we're not prepared. At all. Our spare bedroom has a bed and a dresser, and that's about it. We don't have toys, clothes, bathroom items…anything.

And so our impulsive but wonderful decision has us on the road toward a store with everything that's open twenty-four hours. I'm exhausted from the long day but so excited. It's hard to believe that after tomorrow, it won't just be Carlisle and me in our house.

"Excited, baby?" Carlisle asks softly, linking his hand with mine across the console.

I hum in agreement. "Beyond excited. How could you tell?"

"You're bouncing your legs. I was afraid there was an earthquake in the car for a second."

"Is that your way of asking me to stop shaking the car?"

He scoffs. "Of course not! I would never ask such a thing."

"You just asked me that last week. When I was doing the potty dance in my seat because you drive like a grandpa."

"Okaaay…I would never ask that _tonight_," he clarifies. "I'm excited too. Notice how I'm driving above the speed limit."

I lean over to see the speedometer and nod appreciatively. "Five whole miles per hour, huh? I'm impressed." I kiss his cheek and place my head back against my head rest. "Carlisle, I love you so much. You know that, right? You make me so happy." I don't mean to be so serious, but I need him to know. I'm not sure he realizes how much it meant to me for him to want to help Alice.

"I know, Esme. And I hope you know I feel the exact same way. My love for you goes to infinity and beyond."

And just like that, he has me giggling, but he hasn't ruined the moment by any means. This is Carlisle. The goofy man that I fell in love with from our very first conversation in high school. He's my perfect compliment, and I'm confident he'll be good for Alice too. She needs his fun-loving personality to bring her out of her shell.

When we pull into the parking spot at Wal-Mart, I'm surprised that the parking lot is nearly empty. Usually when we come shopping, we wind up walking nearly a mile to the entrance unless we get lucky. But I guess ten thirty on Thursday night isn't exactly a prime time for grocery shopping.

Carlisle grabs a shopping cart as we walk through the entrance, and I pull up my preliminary shopping list on my phone. It has all of the necessities listed, but somehow I already know that we won't be following it.

"What's first?" he asks, and I point him toward the back of the store.

"Booster seat for the car. Then clothing, bedding, and your favorite…toys."

He makes a fist and pulls it down toward him. "Yessss. Best day ever, wifey."

I roll my eyes. "You've been watching too much _Napoleon_. I'm sure you'll be trying to put Alice's hair in a side pony tail as soon as you get a chance."

"Nah. Fixing hair isn't one of my specialties. Unless messing it up counts. I always do a good job with yours every night." He waggles his brows playfully, making me snort.

"Uh huh. Go ahead and get all those comments out now. You'll need your filter to be in place starting tomorrow."

"Hmm…" He pauses and frowns slightly. "I guess that means we won't have any more afternoon fun. And no more making you scream every night."

"Yeah, that would probably be best." Only Carlisle would want to talk about sex in the middle of Wal-Mart.

"Well, we'll have to get it all out tonight then. Think you can scream for me later?"

"Carlisle!" I slap his arm.

"What?" he asks, eyes twinkling. "It's a legitimate question. You know we won't be able to sleep much tonight anyway."

He's right, of course, but I'm not going to answer him. I give him a noncommittal shrug instead…followed by a flirty wink. The silly man knows I'll never say no to him, no matter how inappropriate he's being right now.

We find the car seats and booster seats with ease, and all the different models succeed in distracting Carlisle from his thoughts of sex. I leave him to compare the options as I take the cart to find some of the bathroom items I'm sure we'll need.

I grab some body wash, shampoo, lotion, toothbrush, and toothpaste before going back to check on Carlisle. He has the options narrowed down to two, so I go off on my own again to the apparel.

Shopping for children's clothes is a new experience for me. It's so difficult to make a decision on what's necessary when I want to buy everything. I don't want to pick out too much without Alice's input though. She deserves to have the clothes she wants because we're more than able to provide them for her.

I finally settle on a warm coat, two pair of pajamas, some panties, socks, and a couple tops, pants, and dresses. It's enough to get us through the weekend, and we can always go shopping again next week.

Carlisle finds me as I look through the rack of outfit sets. He immediately picks out the little pink and black heart shirt and leggings set followed by a purple one. He's not the best person for this job since he wants to buy everything even more than I do. I try to stop him from adding anything else to our almost-full cart, but when he holds up a princess pajama set and gives me puppy dog eyes, I can't refuse him.

Letting him add the set to the cart earns me a rather long kiss, so I'll never regret it.

Once we have all of the clothing necessities, Carlisle leads me back to the car seats aisle. The booster seat he's picked out looks good to me even without all the good ratings he assures me it has. He lifts the large box into the cart, and I let him take over the pushing. There's no way we would go anywhere if I had to try to move the cart.

The next stop is bedding. There's nothing wrong with the spare room's full size bed, but the plain comforter and sheets need to be replaced. Carlisle wants to buy every princess item he can find, but we compromise with a purple butterfly comforter and a separate princess sheet set. He hasn't quite grasped the concept of variety.

In the toy section, Carlisle regresses to a seven year old version of himself. He says he's shopping for Alice, but I'm not so sure she would want a remote control transforming car. I could be wrong, but from what I've been able to see so far, she's pretty much a girly-girl.

I find a plastic tea set complete with play food and take it to show him.

"Try something like this," I say with a smile. "She loves things like this. I promise I'll get you a fun car for Christmas. Deal?"

He smiles and nods. "Deal." And I get another kiss. "But does she like legos? Because they have a box of pink ones that I reeeallly want to get."

I wave my hand toward the legos. "Go for it."

He practically skips off and returns with the large pink bin of legos. I'm not sure who will have more fun with them between him and Alice.

Our cart soon contains the legos and the tea set, a baby doll, some dress up clothes, books to read and color, and a zoo playset. I'm amazed Carlisle has managed to fit everything in with the clothes and booster seat, but it's all there. Nothing is even hanging off the sides.

I think we're about to go check-out when he stops me.

"Wait. There's one more thing we need."

The softness in his eyes prevents any possible snarky comments from escaping me. I watch him curiously as he goes to the game section and searches until he finds what he's looking for. He walks back to me with a small box, offering it almost shyly.

Tears fill my eyes as I take the princess puzzle from him.

"I couldn't forget," he whispers. "She said we could do it, and I'm not going to let her down."

I place the puzzle in the cart and tightly wrap my arms around my perfect man. He's serious about this commitment and really does want Alice with us as much as I do.

"She'll love it," I whisper into his chest. "And I hope she loves us too."

He squeezes me against him. "She will. This is gonna be great."

…

After our tears are dry, we head to the front of the store to check out. The young girl working looks at us like we're insane. Heck, we probably are, but I love our insanity.

The total is more than we've ever spent at this store at one time, but neither of us care.

We rush through the October rain to get to the car and work together to load everything into the back. We're soaking wet when we finally get in the car, and we laugh nearly the whole way home.

Thankfully, the rain slacks off a bit once we're in Forks, and we avoid getting wetter while taking all the bags into the house.

I don't take anything out of the bags except the sheets. Alice needs to try the clothes on before I remove the tags because I had to guess about the sizes. I called Renee Swan to ask what size Bella wears and used that as a guideline for Alice. She's quite a bit smaller, so I hope I got it right.

I'll worry about unpacking everything as soon as I wake up tomorrow since I won't have anything else to do until Charlotte calls. Both Rosalie and Mrs. James know that I won't be back at school tomorrow, but it shouldn't be a problem. This can easily be considered a family emergency…or maybe an emergency family.

Before we head to bed, I toss the princess sheets into the washer with some fabric softener so they'll be nice and soft for Alice tomorrow.

Carlisle tosses me on top of the washer during the spin cycle. I try to get as much of my screaming out as possible which isn't a problem with him. He's very skilled.

Tomorrow, we'll lose our spontaneity. But neither of us cares because we're gaining something so much better.

And as I remind Carlisle when we're about to pass out after round three, now we'll just have to learn to be quiet.

"Challenge accepted, wifey," he mumbles, awkwardly kissing the corner of my lips because his eyes are already closed. "Challenge accepted."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sure no one's too surprised by this development. ;)**

**The Napoleon reference is from _Napoleon Dynamite_. It's a very..._interesting_ movie, for those of you who haven't seen it. And for those of you who have, you know what I mean. **

**A million thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading! Always feel free to let me know what you think and ask any questions. **

**See you on Wednesday! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>"Esme? Esme, baby, can you sit down…please? You're making me nervous."<p>

"Good. You can share my pain."

I can't stop pacing. It's after nine am, and Charlotte hasn't called yet. This is _not _okay with me.

Carlisle and I have been awake for three and a half hours, and in that time, I've cleaned the house, fixed a toy corner for Alice in the living room, made up her new bed, and packed a bag of clothes for her.

But in my mind, all of our preparations are useless unless Charlotte calls. Right now. I'm willing my phone to ring, but it's not happening. Nothing about this stupid phone is smart.

"Esme, do we need to take another shower?"

I shake my head and continue my circuit around the living room. I know Carlisle is worried about me, and probably worried about our carpet. It's very possible that I'm wearing a hole in it. It's also very possible that I don't care.

And while his idea of stress relief is a tempting one, I won't be able to answer the phone if we're in the shower. He barely managed to convince me to take one after the cleaning was finished. His talented fingers will just have to wait.

On my next circuit, Carlisle grabs my arms as I pass the couch and pulls me into his lap. I don't even bother fighting him as he wraps his arms around me.

"There." He places a sweet kiss on my jaw. "Sit with me, okay? Everything will be fine. Let's just wait before we worry."

I sigh and snuggle against him, trying to relax. He's right. There's no reason to worry yet. It's still early. Charlotte will call. She will.

Carlisle continues kissing my jaw and neck, and I feel my body finally begin to calm. He's my rock, and I need him so much. I couldn't survive this torture without him.

"I have to use the bathroom," I whisper a few minutes later.

Carlisle laughs. "All that walking, huh? You go and freshen up, and I'll watch your phone. Take a worry break."

He releases me and pats my bottom as I walk away. I follow his advice and take my time in the bathroom. After I do my business and wash my hands, I splash some cool water on my face and brush my hair. Even though we only slept for three hours, I don't look tired. Beneath the nervous tension, I'm excited. If everything goes according to plan, we'll bring Alice home with us in only a matter of hours. Those hours can't pass fast enough.

When I return to the living room, my heart nearly stops. Carlisle has my phone to his ear and is smiling and nodding.

"Okay, we'll be there soon. Uh huh. Thanks again, Charlotte." He hangs up, and I throw myself into his lap.

"What did she say? Are we still getting her? When can we go? Should I put my shoes on? Do we nee–"

He ends my rambling by attaching his lips to mine. I really don't have time for this, but his lips are too delicious to pull away too soon.

"Slow down, wifey," he whispers against my lips. "One question at a time, kay?"

I take a deep breath and nod, preparing myself for whatever he's about to say. I have a feeling it's good news.

He kisses me one last time then sits back. "Soo…that was Charlotte. She said she's just waiting on a few more papers that we'll have to sign, but everything should be ready around lunch time. We can go up to the hospital whenever we'd like, though. And I'm assuming you're ready now?"

I'm tempted to jump up and do a happy dance, but I refrain. "I'm more than ready," I answer calmly. "Let's go see our girl."

Carlisle's face lights up as he jumps to his feet with me in his arms.

"Carlisle!" I squeal. "What are you doing?"

"I'm faster than you," he says with a shrug. "And we need to leave right now."

I place my arms around his neck and squeeze. He's just so perfect.

We put our shoes on in record time and grab the bags before rushing out the door. I can't pace in the car, so I settle for bouncing my legs. Carlisle knows better than to try to stop me today. There's no way to contain my excitement, especially when I see the pink booster seat every time I turn around. This is better than Christmas.

The elevator at the hospital seems to take forever, but soon we're in front of Alice's room. Carlisle knocks on the door, and Charlotte calls for us to come in. I almost knock down the door in my haste, but I remind myself to be calm. Alice needs me to be calm.

As soon as I walk into the room, I see a little curled form on the bed, and everything is right in the world. She isn't moving, so I assume she's sleeping peacefully. I hope so anyway. She deserves some peace.

I quietly walk to the other side of the bed so I can see her sweet face. She _is _asleep with her arms folded under her head.

I can't resist crawling onto the bed and wrapping my arms around her. She doesn't stir, even as I kiss her head and as Carlisle and Charlotte begin to talk quietly.

Now that I can see her with my own eyes and feel her in my arms, there's no need for me to be nervous. I'm content and so is Carlisle. He's watching us with a serene smile on his face. All we need is for Alice to wake up.

"Did she sleep well last night?" Carlisle asks Charlotte.

"She did. She slept all night until about five this morning then went back to sleep after breakfast."

Hearing that gives me so much relief. I don't want her to have nightmares like the one during naptime Wednesday. It seems like it happened months ago instead of only two days.

"That's good," Carlisle says, voicing my thoughts for me. "We're very excited about seeing her this morning. We missed her."

As if she knows we're talking about her, Alice begins to stretch and sigh. Her hand reaches out, landing on my chest, and I place mine over hers. She makes the funniest faces as she wakes, and after a yawn, her eyes finally open. She blinks a few times and looks around. Since I'm right in her line of sight, she sees me first.

I give her my best smile. "Good morning, precious. Did you have a good sleep?"

Her answering smile is blinding as she scoots toward me, pressing herself to my chest.

"Is that a yes?" I ask with laugh. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you, Alice. I missed you last night."

She pulls her head back to smile at me again. I can't resist kissing her cheek and her forehead, and she wrinkles her nose in the most adorable way.

I hear Carlisle stand and then feel his presence behind me. "What about me?" he protests. "When do I get to kiss my Allie cat good morning?"

"Can Carlisle steal some kisses too?" I feel the need to ask, not knowing exactly how comfortable she is around him. From what we know, she was abused by both her mother and father, so there's really no reason for her to fear men over women or anything like that. I don't think we can be too careful though.

But Alice surprises both of us by sitting up and leaning toward him. He's slow and careful as he kisses her forehead, cheek, and quickly pecks the end of her nose. The last one makes her start giggling, so Carlisle does it again and again until she's laughing so much she can't sit up anymore.

I can't imagine a more perfect way to spend the morning. If possible, I want her to wake up this way every morning. No fear, only smiles and giggles.

When she calms from her Carlisle-induced giggles, she lies back down to cuddle with me. I'm more than happy to give her what she wants, but I know we'll need to get out of this bed pretty soon.

Today will be busy for all of us and probably very scary for Alice. She might be comfortable with us here in the hospital, but our home will be a strange environment. There's no way to know how she'll react.

But Carlisle and I are ready to deal with anything. Alice will be happy and know she's safe. We'll be sure of it.

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><p><strong>AN: The response this story has received continues to blow me away. Thank you so much to each and every one of you for taking the time to read.**

**And a million thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping. **

**Feel free to let me know what you think and ask any questions.**

**See you on Friday! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>Charlotte was right about this paperwork being ridiculous. My hand feels like it's going to fall off from signing my name so many times. All of these forms look exactly the same to me, and I'm glad Carlisle is reading each one carefully so at least one of us knows exactly what we're agreeing to.<p>

But all of this trouble is completely worth it. The quiet little girl with wide eyes sitting in my lap is worth all of this and more. She doesn't understand what's going on, and I know she's anxious. Her grip on my arm hasn't weakened since I picked her up twenty minutes ago.

Our morning together was quiet and perfect. Carlisle tried his best to make Alice smile and laugh as much as possible, and he succeeded. He succeeded to the point where she and I almost fell out of bed because of our laughter.

There was also a trip to the hospital playroom while we waited for Charlotte to get everything together. Carlisle's joy was immense when Alice let him carry her down the hallway. I really hate that I don't have my camera with me. I've never seen anything more beautiful than those two, heads together as he protects her from the world.

Even two hours later, I still can't decide if I want to cry or pull Carlisle into a closet to show him how much I love him. I guess I'll have to settle for a long hug once we get finished here.

"Okay, I think this is the last one," Charlotte says with a smile as she passes a paper to Carlisle. "She can be discharged at any time, so once you sign this, you can get ready to go."

Alice turns to look up at me, and I kiss her temple. She knows we're leaving, but she's not quite sure where we're going – or more specifically, where _she's _going. The fear of going back to her parents is still there. I can see it in her eyes no matter how many times I reassure her.

"Hear that, precious?" I ask her. "We get to leave soon."

She nods and looks over at Carlisle before looking back to me.

"Carlisle's going too," I assure her as I push the hair back from her face. "You get to come stay at our house with us. Does that sound okay?" She nods. "Okay, sweetheart. We'll have so much fun together."

She smiles and snuggles closer, resting her head on my arm.

Everything she does reminds me of why we're doing this. Of what's important.

Mary Alice Brandon is five years old. She was given clothes, a roof over her head, some food, but that isn't all she needs. She needs attention, affection…love. Instead, she was given abuse and probably hate and mean words.

Carlisle and I have a chance to fix that. We have a chance to give her _everything _she needs.

And once I sign my name on the last paper, we're ready to get started.

Charlotte gathers the stack of papers and puts them all in order. I don't see how she keeps up with it all, but she's obviously very good at her job – a job she might be risking for us and Alice. Kids slip through the cracks all the time though. What we're doing is preventing that fate for one special little girl. No one should be able to fault us for that.

"All right, guys," Charlotte says as she places the papers in her file and stands. "I'll go talk to her nurse and then you should be free to go."

Carlisle stretches and groans. "Good. I'm about to starve. I bet Alice is hungry too, aren't you?"

She giggles. "Tummy bear, Carwile."

"Oh no!" he gasps. "You have a tummy bear? We have to do something quick!"

Alice giggles again as I stand and grab the bag of clothes. "Well, let's go get dressed and then we can take care of those tummy bears. Pick us something good to eat, Carlisle."

"Will do, wifey." He salutes us as we walk to the bathroom.

I halfway close the bathroom door behind us and kneel down. Alice is reluctant to leave my arms, but she stands beside me without fuss as I search the bag.

"Okay, Miss Alice. Carlisle and I found you some pretty things to wear. Are you ready to get dressed?"

She nods quickly.

"That gown's itchy, huh? Well don't worry. We'll take care of that right now."

As always, she's reluctant to let me undress her, but I think it might be getting a little easier. I hum softly as I pull the new shirt over her head, and we make it through without any panic.

After she uses the potty, I help her with her new panties and leggings. Now that she's fully dressed, she's a lot calmer and even has a smile on her face.

I gently cup her face in my hands and kiss her forehead. "Like your outfit?"

She nods as she twirls around. The long shirt has a ruffle around the bottom hem – perfect for twirling.

As she enjoys her new clothes, I attempt to tame her hair with a brush and bow. I never realized how much fun it could be to have a little girl, especially one like Alice. She seems to really enjoy the typical "girl" things and doesn't complain as I pull her hair up in a pony tail complete with a pink bow.

When I finish, I lift her into my arms and turn so she can see her reflection in the mirror. "You're so beautiful, precious," I say as I kiss her cheek.

Her arms wrap around my neck and rests her head again mine. The smile on her face is so bright and happy. This is how she should look all the time.

Once shoes and socks are on, I breathe a sigh of relief. Everything seems to fit perfectly even though I had to guess at the sizes.

A nurse is talking to Carlisle when we walk back into the room. Discharge isn't very complicated since Alice hasn't really needed any kind of treatment. The bruises on her body should all fade with time, and thankfully there was no internal bleeding or broken bones.

The thoughts of the injuries being more serious make my stomach clench painfully. I still hate that I didn't find out sooner, but I'm so glad I caught this before it could get any worse.

Charlotte receives a few more papers from the nurse, and then we're officially free to leave. I start to gather Alice's things, and Carlisle steals her from me. She goes to him with a smile on her face, and I know that means the world to him.

"Let's get your jacket on, Allie cat," he says as he sits on the couch and places her in front of him. "It's wet and cold outside, so we have to make sure you're nice and warm."

I watch him from the corner of my eye just because I love seeing them together. He's so careful with her, not making any sudden movements as he helps her with her jacket. They zip it up together, and he places a loud kiss on her cheek before pulling her hood up over her eyes. She giggles and pushes the hood back as she leans into his arms.

I have to turn my head so I won't cry. I'm not sure how I'm going to live in a house with these two without investing in a tissue company. Every time they're together, the tears form in my eyes. It's a Pavlovian response and can't be stopped.

"Are you two ready to head out?" I ask. I hate to end their time together, but all of the bags are packed, and I can't wait to leave this hospital.

Carlisle stands with Alice in his arms. The hood is back in place, but this time, she can still see. "We were born ready, wifey. Lead the way."

I smile, roll my eyes at him, and take his free hand. He's such a goof, but I love him that way. And since Alice is giggling again, I guess she loves him that way too.

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><p><strong>AN: No cliffy this time. ;) **

**Lots and lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping. **

**And lots and lots of thanks to all of you for reading! Your reviews always make me smile.**

**See you on Monday!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

><p>Getting Alice into the car is a challenge. She's tiny, so Carlisle left the harness in the booster seat when he installed it in the car. But now that she's wearing a jacket, we're having issues.<p>

"We're almost there, precious," I assure her. "Almost there and then we'll go get some lunch."

The buckles don't want to fasten, but Carlisle keeps trying. It's hard for both of us though because Alice is terrified. She's been frozen and gripping the armrests of the seat since Carlisle first went to buckle her in. Maybe we should have just used the regular seat belt and saved us all the trouble and trauma.

I finally hear the click we've been waiting for and sigh in relief.

"Got it!" Carlisle announces. "You're all set, Allie cat. Now we can feed the tummy bear."

She doesn't move even after he closes the door, so I stay right where I am in the backseat next to her. Carlisle knows what I'm planning so he goes right to his seat without waiting for me to move.

"Precious," I whisper as I gently take her hand in mine, "it's okay. Don't be scared. You're okay."

It takes a few seconds, but her hand finally squeezes mine as she begins to relax.

"There you go. See? Carlisle's going to find us a good place to eat lunch and then we'll be going home."

"Home?" she whispers as she turns toward me. Her eyes are more curious than afraid, thankfully.

I don't think I could live with myself if we had traumatized her just from buckling her into the car.

"Yes, sweetheart," I answer with a smile. "We're taking you home with us. We have a pretty room all ready for you."

"And toys too," Carlisle adds. "You and me are gonna have so much fun this afternoon."

This seems to assure her for the time being and the drive is calm and quiet. I expect Carlisle to drive us to our favorite diner, but soon I realize that's not where we're going. We're going somewhere completely different.

"Carlisle, did you talk to your mother today?"

He has the good sense to look uncertain as we make eye contact in the rear view mirror. I raise my eyebrow in challenge.

"Umm…yes? But, wifey…you told me to pick something good. Mom made chicken noodle soup! And she wants to meet Alice."

Well…I do love Jane Cullen's chicken noodle soup, but I'm also worried.

"I just don't want to overwhelm her," I explain softly. "Is your mother going to behave?"

He nods. "Dad isn't home today, and Mom promised to be on her best behavior. See – she's not even rushing out to the car."

He parks the car in the driveway, and I do see that he's right. The front door remains closed even as he opens his door and comes around to help me get out. I unbuckle Alice, and she practically jumps out of her seat. Carlisle takes her into his arms, offers me his hand, and locks the car.

As we walk to the front door, somehow I feel like we're walking to our death. Maybe I'm just being melodramatic, but the last few days have been full of unusual drama.

Carlisle talks softly to Alice, explaining where we are and what we're doing here. She reaches her hand out for me, and I take it with a smile. I'll gladly give her any support she needs.

Even though Jane didn't attack us when we pulled in the driveway, she opens the door within two seconds of Carlisle ringing the doorbell. I'm right in front of the door so I get grabbed first.

"Esme, I'm so happy to see you. How have you been?"

I pat her back as she hugs me. "I've been good, Jane. How are you?" We just saw her last Sunday, but that's ages to her.

"I've been just perfect, thank you for asking. And Carlisle, son, how are you?"

"Great, Mom. But I'm ready for some of your soup. We're about to starve to death." He keeps his distance from his mother and rubs Alice's back as she hides her face against him.

"Well, come in, come in," she says with a smile, undeterred by his distance. "The soup is on the table with the cornbread. Let's eat and then I can get to know this beautiful little girl in your arms."

We follow her to the kitchen table, and I'm very impressed by how she's giving Alice the space she needs. I'm also impressed by how the table is set. There are four places, but two are by one seat. Since I know how Carlisle eats chicken soup, I take Alice to sit with me. They'll both be a mess of sticky crumbs if I don't.

Lunch goes as smoothly as it possibly could. Carlisle licks his bowl clean three times while complementing his mother every three bites. Any other mother would accuse me of not feeding her son, but Jane knows better. When Carlisle and I got married, she thanked me for taking him off her hands and grocery bill. I'm pretty sure she did the same to Rosalie when she and Emmett got married. Those Cullen boys can eat.

Alice also eats surprising well. She's not a picky eater that I've observed, but with the strange environment, I expected her to be a bit more hesitant. Maybe it's because Jane's kitchen is so warm and inviting, much like Jane herself. She includes Alice in every conversation and doesn't seem offended in the least when the best response she gets is a smile.

As much as I love our extended family, I'm ready to go home once we've finished eating. I'm excited about being alone with Carlisle and Alice and figuring out how we work together. It's never been just the three of us, and while I know I love spending one-on-one time with Alice, I want to see what Carlisle adds. Probably crazy comments and giggles.

I try to use my eyes to let Carlisle know that I'm ready to leave, but he doesn't seem to understand. Alice, however, is about to fall asleep in my arms.

"Uh, Carlisle," I finally say. "I think it might be time for us to go."

"Wait just a minute, please," Jane says as she stands. "I have something I want to give Alice."

Alice perks up a little when she hears her name.

Jane holds her hand out. "Would you like to come with me, dear heart? We're just going to the counter right over there."

Alice looks up at me, and I nod. "It's okay, precious. You can go with Mrs. Jane. Carlisle and I will be right here at the table."

My mother-in-law shakes her head. "None of that 'Mrs. Jane' stuff. You call me Oma, okay?"

Carlisle snorts, and I barely contain my laughter. The Cullen's aren't even German, but Jane has had this in her head for a while. Her grandchildren will call her Oma, and that's all there is to it.

But this means that she's already considering Alice our child. I've only ever thought of her as my student…until now. Now this idea is in my head. What if Alice stays with us permanently? What if Carlisle and I adopted her? What if she starts calling us Mommy and Daddy?

The last thought puts a huge smile on my face. I'm pretty sure that's what I want. No, I'm absolutely sure that's what I want. Carlisle and I haven't talked about our plans for children in a couple months because we usually reevaluate every time I go to get my birth control shot. We've been waiting – enjoying our time with just the two of us in our house, but it's been just the two of us for five years now.

Carlisle and I need to have another serious conversation, and soon.

I shake my head slightly to break from my thoughts. Alice is still thinking about her choice to go with Jane, but she soon decides and scoots out of my lap. She takes Jane's offered hand and lets her lead her over to the kitchen counter.

Jane takes something out of a bag and kneels down. "Here you go, dear. Would you like a cookie?"

Alice looks over at us hopefully, and it breaks my heart that she thinks we'd deny her something like this.

"You go for it, Allie cat!" Carlisle says with a smile. "And bring me one too."

Now that she has permission, she takes the cookie Jane is offering along with an extra for Carlisle and rushes over to him. He lifts her into his lap and wraps an arm around her. She gets comfortable in her spot and smiles as she lifts her cookie to show me.

"I see your cookie, sweetheart. Is it good?"

She takes a bite and immediately nods. She's so happy as she and Carlisle eat their cookies, and eventually, they move to sit by me so they can feed me little pieces.

I'm beyond happy right now, and we haven't even been home yet. I want this always.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Just as a little PSA, never leave a bulky coat on a child when buckling them into a car seat. But Carlisle and Esme are still learners, so we'll forgive them. ;)**

**A million thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading. You are all so, so lovely. **

**See you on Wednesday! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

><p>Alice passes out almost as soon as she finishes her cookie. I'm glad she does because then even Jane understands that it's time for us to go. We have to promise to stop by next week, but I'm willing to promise almost anything at this point. I need a nap too.<p>

Now that Alice is asleep, getting her in and out of the car isn't a problem. When we walk into the house, Carlisle carries her over to his recliner, but instead of laying her down, he sits and keeps her in his arms. I bring all the bags into the house without complaint. I don't blame him at all for wanting this time with her.

Carlisle and I have several papers that we need to look over that outline the next few days, but I just place them on the desk in the study without another thought. They can wait. The laundry can also wait, but I do place the dirty clothes in front of the washer before taking everything else to Alice's room. The empty couch is calling my name, and I don't intend on keeping it waiting.

"Can you help me with this?" Carlisle whispers when I walk back into the living room. He's trying to get Alice's jacket off, but he's not doing such a good job.

I chuckle softly as I go over to help him. "Of course, babe, but what did you try to do? Pull it over her head?"

He shrugs with a guilty frown. "Umm…yes? I guess I should have unzipped it first."

"Well, you know for next time." I help him remove the jacket without waking Alice then give him a slow kiss. "I'm going to take a nap too, okay?"

"Sure, wifey. I love you."

I have to kiss him again because he's always so sincere and just adorable. "I love you too. Wake me up if you need me." I'm positive he can handle Alice by himself if she wakes up before me, but I wouldn't mind helping. We're both learners at this point.

After hanging Alice's jacket on a free hook by the door, I lie on the couch, stretching out on my stomach. Once I pull the blanket over me, I'm out for the count.

When I do wake, I feel rested but not willing to move just yet. That's partially because I can hear quiet voices, and I want to listen without them knowing.

"Who's your favorite character?"

"Mmm…Zazu!"

"Zazu, huh? You like that crazy bird? I think I like Pumbaa. Do you know what kind of animal he is?"

"A piggy."

He laughs loudly, causing her to giggle too. "He's definitely_ like _a piggy, but he's actually a warthog. Oh wait…I think my favorite is Rafiki. He has a blue butt."

I roll my eyes as Alice giggles again. I definitely need to fill Carlisle in on the bad words of kindergarten. Good thing I know Alice won't go around repeating everything he says.

"He should put some pants on, right? Maybe we should give him your pink pants."

"No, Carwile. I wear my pink pants."

"Okay, okay. You keep your pants, Allie cat. I guess Rafiki's blue butt would be happier naked anyway."

I can't stay still any longer. "Carlisle, language, please," I say as I sit up. I smile to let him know that I'm teasing. "If you're going to talk about Rafiki's blue _bottom_, please be polite about it."

He smirks. "My apologies, ma'am. I'll be sure to mind my manners around little ladies from now on. So did you have a nice nap?"

"Thank you very much, and yes I did. What else have you two been doing besides watching _The Lion King_?"

"Oh, you know. A little of this, a little of that. I showed Allie cat where the potty is and we drank some water. But she's feeling extra snuggly right now so I turned on the movie."

"Extra snuggly, you say? Can I have some extra snuggles?" I hold out my arms, and Carlisle helps Alice down so she can run over to me. I scoop her up and hug her tightly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "How was your nap, sweetheart? Sleep good?"

She nods and turns to look up at me. "Miss Cuwen, you sweep a woooong time."

Carlisle laughs loudly, and somehow I know that he put her up to this.

"I slept a long time, huh? I guess I was extra tired." I give Carlisle the side-eyes. It's partially his fault, after all. Alice giggles and pats my hand, and just like that, I'm ridiculously happy. I love having her here.

"Oh, and sweetheart, you don't have to call me Miss Cullen when we're not in school," I tell her. "You can call me Esme, if you want."

"Esme?" she asks softly, trying the word out. I nod, and she returns it.

Now that that's settled, we focus on the movie. I try to pay attention, but Carlisle's questions and commentary make it almost impossible. I'm a little sad that I didn't wake earlier because he loves to sing along too. His version of "Hakuna Matata" is one of the reasons I married him.

Carlisle's Elton John impression is _not _one of the reasons I married him, so when he starts butchering the song during the credits, I cut the TV off.

Since it's Carlisle's night to make dinner, he heads off to the kitchen while I show Alice around the house. She knows where the bathroom is already, so I show her the kitchen, the study, our bedroom, and then her room. Her eyes light up when she sees everything, and Carlisle has to poke his head in to point out the princess sheets. He's proud of those, and with good reason because Alice loves them.

I let Alice roll around on the bed for a few minutes before catching her in my arms and taking her back to the living room. When she sees all the new toys, she's completely frozen. I'm not sure if she ever had this many toys or toys at all, but we're going to make sure she has the best opportunities to just be a kid. And kids – as well as my husband – love toys, so that's what she'll get in our house.

Carlisle's simple dinner is appreciated by all three of us, and after eating ice cream for dessert, we're all ready for some more sleep. The past three days have been full of stress, but now that Alice is safe and with us, I feel like we can finally relax. But as I try to relax, I realize that the three hours of sleep are catching up with me. I'm dead on my feet, but there are still a couple of things to do before I can go to bed.

I'm pretty sure Alice didn't have a bath while in the hospital, so that's the next thing on my to-do list. A warm bath will make her feel even better than she does now.

Carlisle remains the perfect husband as he cleans up the kitchen even though he made dinner. We usually trade off, but he seems to realize that this bath ordeal will go better with me in charge. We're going into more uncharted territory, and I have no idea how Alice will react.

The bubbles I put in the water seem to intrigue her, though, so after the initial trauma of undressing, getting in the bathtub is no big deal. Alice plays with the bubbles until she starts yawning, and then we get down to business. It's messy and uncoordinated as I go back and forth getting supplies, but I have hope that it will get better.

It's a good thing that the bathroom floor is used to getting covered in water all the time but for a very different reason.

Alice loves her princess pajamas as much as the sheets, and once she's dressed, Carlisle steals her from me so I can go get ready for bed. He's already in his flannel pants and t-shirt, so I rush through my nighttime routine to get back to them.

They're not hard to find when I'm finished. Carlisle has Alice in our bed with the covers pulled over their legs. He holds out a book which I take as I crawl in beside them.

Carlisle pulls me closer so Alice is sandwiched directly between us. I'm not sure if she can move, but she's smiling and relaxed beside us.

This is exactly as I imagined it would be. I can't wait to see if everything else I've imagined comes true too.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A million thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping.**

**And of course, thanks to all of you for reading! I am so glad you're still enjoying the story.**

**See you on Friday! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>"You've been declared the best story reader," Carlisle informs me. "And we're ready for our bedtime story."<p>

"You are, huh? What am I reading?"

"The sweepy book," Alice says followed by a yawn that could rival the pictures on the front of the book.

I chuckle and kiss her head. "Good choice, precious. You look so sleepy, just like this book."

She shakes her head. "Not me, Esme. Not sweepy."

"Yeah, Esme," Carlisle says, fighting a laugh. "Miss Alice isn't sleepy at all. We're both gonna be awake for the whole book, just you wait and see."

"All right, all right," I relent. "But before I start reading, I want my _not-goodnight _kisses." I attack Alice first, kissing her cheeks and nose until she can't stop giggling. Carlisle adds his kisses too before kissing me. It's a lot shorter than our usual goodnight kisses, but I'd rather not kiss like that in front of a five year old.

Once we're all satisfied with our kisses, I open the book and settle in to read. "_The news just came in from the County of Keck…"_

I continue reading until I get to the end of the story even though Carlisle has been asleep for the last fifteen pages and Alice for the last ten. Of course they weren't sleepy.

Carlisle has also been snoring for the past fifteen pages, but there's not much I can do about that since Alice is sleeping with her head on his shoulder. There's no way for him to turn on his side without disturbing her. And besides that, this scene is too adorable for me to want to move them. I'll deal with the sawing of logs with a smile on my face.

I hate leaving the comfortable bed, but someone has to turn the lights out and lock the door. Once everything is as it should be, I turn out our lamp and climb back into bed.

I'm sure we're committing some sort of parenting no-no by letting Alice sleep in our bed, but I don't care at this point. There's no way I can take her to her room by myself, and besides, I want her to feel safe here. What's safer than having Carlisle and me beside her in case she wakes up?

And what's better than curling up in bed with a snuggly little one between you and your husband? Not much that I can tell.

…

It seems the nap I had didn't help much because I manage to sleep like the dead. When my eyes flutter open, I immediately notice that I haven't even moved. My muscles are stiff but well rested, and they feel a lot better after I stretch.

My feet are tangled with Carlisle's so it's obvious that he's still in bed and that he moved during the night. I attempt to turn to my side so I can see him, but a weight on my chest stops me.

Alice's head is on _my _shoulder now, and her arm is thrown across me. My heart is going to burst. Her hand is holding onto my t-shirt, and I can feel her soft breath against me. She's really here, sleeping peacefully. I crane my head a little and see that she's smiling. We did this for her – gave her a peaceful, happy night.

It's hard for me to contain how overjoyed I am, but since Carlisle and Alice are both still sleeping, I have to.

The clock on the wall tells me that it's nine thirty when Carlisle finally begins to stir. I've managed to wait an hour, but I hope Alice wakes up soon too. I'm ready to figure out what we're doing today.

"You're too far away," Carlisle mumbles with a yawn.

"Sorry," I whisper. "But I can't really move right now. You come closer." I reach my hand out, and he takes it before scooting over. His leg wraps around mine, and he places his free arm over both me and Alice. "Much better."

He hums in agreement and manages to kiss my temple. "Morning, baby. Sleep well?"

"Very well. And I think Alice did too."

"We fell asleep during the book, didn't we?"

"Yep. And you were so cute that I just couldn't move you or her."

"Aww, wifey. You think I'm cute. Now you can watch my cute self walk to the bathroom."

I chuckle softly. "I'm sure it will be the highlight of my day."

Carlisle carefully leaves the bed and cheekily struts to the bathroom. His wild hair and drowsy eyes only add to the effect. And even though I miss morning gropes from that sexy man, morning cuddles from Alice are an amazing substitute.

Carlisle graciously heads to the kitchen to make breakfast, and I feel a burst of pride knowing that I've trained him well in the kitchen. I listen and smell closely to determine what he's making. Cinnamon rolls. My stomach growls its approval.

Alice begins to stir a few minutes later, and I turn so I can see her face. She's disoriented and whiny at first, but when she opens her eyes fully and sees me, her smile is indescribable.

"Good morning, precious. Did you have lots of good dreams?"

"Mmhmm. Esme?" she whispers hesitantly.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I needa potty. Pwease?"

My smile falls slightly. "Oh, sweetheart. You never have to ask for permission for that, okay? You can go to the potty whenever you need to."

I hate that she feels she needs to ask. And I've never hated another person before, but I'm coming closer with her parents. What kind of people put this kind of fear into a little girl with something so simple as going to the bathroom?

Feeling the need to comfort us both, I hug her closer and kiss her forehead. "Come on, precious. Let's go potty and then we can eat the breakfast Carlisle's making for us."

After we get cleaned up a little in the bathroom, I carry Alice to the kitchen. Carlisle has the cinnamon rolls set up on a plate on the breakfast bar, so I sit Alice on a stool and help him with the drinks.

We all sit down to eat, and when we're finished, the large plate is empty as are our glasses of milk. Alice is a sticky mess, but Carlisle has it under control. His overzealous wiping of her face has her laughing and almost falling off her stool.

Once we do a quick clean up in the kitchen, I take Alice to get dressed. Since she has so many new outfits, I let her choose.

"Which one would you like to wear, Alice?" I ask as we stand beside her bed. Her new dresses, pants, and shirts are all lined up, and she's looking closely with wide eyes.

"You can pick anything you want, okay?" It's probably a dangerous thing to say to a five year old, but I doubt Alice has had any control of her life before this. If she wants to wear mismatched clothes on a Saturday, then she's going to wear mismatched clothes.

She finally settles on a long t-shirt and a pair of leggings that actually do match. As I help her dress, she continues to guard her chest and abdomen, but it's getting better.

"Carlisle and I will _never_hurt you," I remind her. "Never, ever. You're completely safe in this house, sweetheart. I promise." She nods, showing that she hears me. I just hope she's beginning to understand.

The weather is very Forks-like today, complete with steady rain and chilly temperatures. It's not really a problem for us since we're content being couch potatoes.

Carlisle lets Alice pick a movie, and we watch _The Incredibles _while playing dress-up and using our imaginations. Carlisle uses a blanket as his cape and pretends to be a villain who holds Queen Alice hostage. Alice giggles away in her tiara and feather boa as I use my magic spatula to save the day. It's crazy, fun, and leads to nap time for us all.

After our nap, the rain has slacked off enough for Carlisle to decide that it's a prime time to take Alice to jump in some puddles. Of course, she doesn't have any rain boots, so Carlisle steals her for a trip to the sporting goods store.

Ten minutes after they leave, I hear the doorbell, and I'm surprised and happy to see Renee at the door.

"Come in, come in," I say as I usher her out of the cold. "What brings you here this afternoon? Charlie and Bella run you out of the house?"

She laughs and shakes her head. "No, not today. I came by to see if you could use any of this." She holds up a large bag of clothes. "It's just some of Bella's things from last year and maybe even the year before. I thought maybe you could use them for Alice. You said she's a little thing, right?"

"Oh, Renee, thank you!" I pull her into a tight hug. "You didn't have to do this, but I'm sure Alice will love it."

She scoffs. "This was not a problem at all. They're all gently used, and some might have only been worn once. It was Bella's picky stage. Now, let's sit so you can tell me all about your little houseguest."

I drop the clothes in Alice's room and fix us some coffee before sitting on the couch with Renee. I don't go into the specifics of what's going on when Alice, mostly because I don't know them either, but that's not what Renee is interested in. She was a guidance counselor at the school before Bella was born, so I know she's more interested in how we're adjusting. I'm happy to tell her how well everything is going.

"Carlisle is so great with her," I say with a wide smile. "The way he talks to her and asks her questions…I think it's just what she needs."

Renee smiles with me and nods. "I'm sure it's doing wonders. And you're good for her too, you know. Your patience and constant reassurance is going to make this a lot easier for her. Just remember that Charlie and I are here for you if you ever need anything. We'd love to have Alice over anytime you need time for you and Carlisle. Don't neglect that part of you."

I know what she's referring to, and it makes me blush. I'm sure Carlisle will be taking them up on that offer soon.

"And Bella has been driving me crazy asking for a play date," she adds. "She overheard me talking to Charlie, and that's all she'll talk about now. She missed her best friend so much while she was sick. Having her next door will be good for them both."

I nod. "I'm sure it will. They're adorable in class, always doing everything together. I'll let you know next week about a date. We'll be glad to have Bella over."

Renee and I chat for a few more minutes before she has to leave. But when I open the door, she begins stalking across the yard.

"Charles Swan, WHAT are you doing with her out in this weather? She's finally feeling better!"

I lean out to see what's going on and laugh when I see that Charlie has Bella out jumping in the puddles much like Carlisle plans to do with Alice.

"Hi, Charlie. Hi, Bella." I wave, and Charlie returns it while letting the verbal attack from his wife roll off him.

In the end, Bella's having too much fun playing for Renee to make her go in the house, and when Carlisle and Alice return, they join them.

Well, Alice has to show me her new purple boots first, but then she goes to play with her friend.

They have so much fun that I can't resist putting on my rain boots and joining them. We run around, letting the standing water splash our boots. Carlisle and I swing Alice over puddles, pretending to drop her as she squeals with laughter.

The sky is cloudy, but it has no reflection on my mood. Nothing could bring me down from this high.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: _The Sleep Book_ is by Dr. Seuss. It's one of my favorites.**

**Lots of thanks to_ MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading!**

**I hope everyone has a great weekend. See you on Monday!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>I think we're going to have to start reading the bedtime book in Alice's bed. Not that I really mind her sleeping in our bed, but I'm still pretty sure it's not a good idea. It seems my voice is just too soothing because Alice and Carlisle both fall asleep within minutes, and then it's too late to move anyone.<p>

Waking up with Alice beside me makes me wonder if I really care about whether this is a good idea or not. She's hesitant, smiley, and completely cuddly. Morning snuggles will definitely be continued even when Alice sleeps in her own bed.

Carlisle is awake before us today and is missing when Alice and I crawl out of bed and head down to the living room. I find some cartoons for Alice to watch while I make breakfast, and in the kitchen, I find a note from Carlisle. He's out running and doesn't want us to wait for him before eating breakfast. My stomach is growling so I have no problem with that.

After fixing a plate for Carlisle and putting in the toaster oven to keep warm, I place our breakfast on a tray so we can eat in front of the TV.

I think I want this to be a Sunday morning tradition. Alice seems to be amazed that we're doing this. I'm not sure if it's the fact that we're eating in the living room while we're watching TV or what, but I want this to be a normal occurrence. I want her to see that we always enjoy spending time with her and want to do things that she enjoys. Even though it's happened so quickly, her happiness seems to be tied with our happiness. And the obvious solution to that is to always keep her happy.

Since she's smiled more in the past two days than in the month and a half that I've known her, I think it's safe to say that we're doing a good job.

We're almost finished with our breakfast when Carlisle comes in the door. He's sweaty and gorgeous and…sweaty. I can't handle sweat. He knows it too.

"Wifey…are you sure you don't want a hug? I just want to hug you because I missed you so much while I was out running. Pleeease?"

I squeal as he reaches for me. I'm not sure if he's really going to hug me or what, but I jump off the couch and run behind it.

"Carlisle…"

"Wifey…" he mocks, smiling as he slowly walks towards me. "C'mere and give me some lovin'."

I shake my head. "Nuh uh. You stand still and maybe I'll give you a kiss." I give him a pointed look and glance down.

Alice is watching us closely, and I'm positive she doesn't know what's going on. The teasing needs to have a happy ending soon so she'll see that everything's okay.

He immediately stops, flashes her a smile and a wink, and then looks back at me. "I think I can live with that."

"Put your hands where I can see them," I instruct as I slowly walk toward him. He does as I ask, but as soon as my lips are touching his, he pulls me in for a hug. I immediately jump back, and he laughs like it's the funniest thing in the world. "Ewww, Carlisle!"

"You know you love me," he says between his guffaws.

I sigh. "Of course I do. But I love the clean you even more. It's better when you smell nice, isn't it, Alice?"

She looks over at me and slowly nods.

"My Allie cat will give me a kiss, won't you, Allie cat?" She doesn't have time to answer before he places a loud kiss on her cheek.

The tension in her little body finally begins to dissipate. It's a reminder that we still have a ways to go with her recovery. However long she was abused was enough for the effects to not be erased after a few days. We won't give up on her, though.

Carlisle inhales his breakfast and finally agrees to go shower. I love the man, but I don't love his ripe smell.

Alice is relaxed again when I sit back down after straightening the kitchen. She crawls right into my lap, not showing any fear. I guess our teasing didn't scare her exactly – more like surprised. I assume she's never seen two adults act like we do all the time, but she's figuring out that we aren't being malicious.

We're just being Carlisle and Esme – two dorks who love each other more than anything. It just seems to always be conveyed through teasing and eye rolling and general craziness.

As Carlisle gets dressed for the day, Alice and I go into her room. She picks out her clothes again, this time choosing some of Bella's hand-me-downs. My prediction comes true – she loves the clothes Renee brought, and I love seeing her closet fill with so many cute outfits.

Carlisle peaks his head in as I'm helping Alice dress. "Dress warm, okay? I want to take Alice to the park and maybe get some ice cream."

I chuckle. "So we need to dress warm, but we're getting ice cream?"

He nods. "Yeah."

Since he doesn't see anything wrong with his statement, I don't say anything else. He's obviously excited about his brilliant plan, and I wouldn't want to ruin that.

I leave the shoes, socks, and jacket for Carlisle to help her with while I go get ready.

It doesn't take me long, and we're soon in the car on the way to the park. The weather is surprising very clear, so I can tell why Carlisle decided to do this today. It's a bit chilly, but there's not much wind or rain. Since we're all in jackets, it should be perfect.

When we get out of the car, Carlisle swings Alice into his arms and puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Where to first, Allie cat? Slides? Swings? Play in the fountain?"

"Carwile, no," she giggles. "It's cowod out here."

I have to laugh at her correcting him. "You tell him, precious. We're not playing in any fountains today."

He pretends to pout. "You girls are no fun. So what would you suggest, wifey?"

"Swings," I say. They're my favorite.

"Swings it is then."

We walk over to the swings, and he passes Alice to me and gestures toward one swing. I raise an eyebrow, but he simply nods. I've never tried to swing with anyone in my lap. I hope we don't wind up injured.

"Have her face you," Carlisle instructs. "Her legs should be on either side of you, and she can wrap her arms around your neck. Now you hold on to the chains."

We do as he says, and as soon as we're in the right position, he begins pushing without warning. I let out a squeak of surprise, and Alice hides against me. But as soon as we get going well, I'm enjoying it, as is Alice.

"Esme, we're goin' so hiiigh!" She giggles and squeals every time Carlisle pushes us.

"We sure are, sweetheart. Hold on tight!" I feel so light and not just from flying through the air. Moments like this are beyond words.

After swinging to the point of motion sickness, we rest for a minute on a bench. Carlisle then gets the genius idea to chase squirrels and convinces Alice to go with them. Unsurprisingly, they aren't successful in catching a squirrel but probably are in getting us put on the squirrels' list of enemies. We'll probably be attacked next time.

We spend another hour checking out all the equipment this park offers. It's small, but there's plenty to do, and we only leave when we're tired and Carlisle is ready for ice cream.

Thankfully, the diner is warm, and even though I still think it's weird, the ice cream does hit the spot. I keep it simple with a hot fudge sunday, and Alice thoroughly enjoys her scoop of chocolate with plenty of colorful sprinkles. Carlisle, on the other hand, has scoops of cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, and peanut butter with hot fudge and sprinkles. I'm completely disgusted by the mess in his bowl, but he eats like it's the greatest thing in the world. Even Alice eyes the concoction with trepidation.

Carlisle notices us watching him and suggests the unthinkable. "Do you guys want some?" He holds up his spoon and offers it to Alice.

She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. "That's icky, Carwile."

"Icky? This is delicious! You want some, Esme?"

"Um…no. I'm definitely going to pass."

He shrugs and goes back to eating. "More for me."

We wind up staying at the diner so long that we go ahead and eat lunch there too. It's nice to not have anything we have to do today. We can take our time to just be together.

And since tomorrow starts our fall break at school, Alice and I don't have anywhere to be for a whole week. Hopefully Carlisle can find a way to take some time off too. A week of rest and bonding would be great for all of us.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry I was running a little late with review replies. RL craziness and all.**

**Lots of thanks to_ MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading! Your reviews always make my day so much brighter.**

**See you on Wednesday! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>"Wifey…doorbell!"<p>

Alice giggles. Even she knows how ridiculous his statement is.

"Uh…okay? So go answer it."

Carlisle pops his head out of the bathroom door. "But I'm not finished flossing."

I gesture to Alice and me snuggling in bed. "And we're not dressed yet. Please, babe?"

My hopeful smile seems to win him over, and he heads toward the front door, albeit with a small pout. It's not like my logic is flawed. He's been out of bed and dressed for almost an hour since he had to call the hospital first thing this morning. Alice and I, on the other hand, have only been awake for twenty minutes and we haven't finished our cuddling.

"So what do you want to do today, precious?" I ask as I run my fingers through her dark hair.

She shrugs. "It's rainin'."

"Mmhmm." I hear the rain too. "Okay so no going outside, but that's okay. Maybe we'll watch a movie or bake cookies."

She lifts her head and smiles. "I wike cookies, Esme."

"You do, huh? Well, cookies it is. What kind do you like?" The fact that she's willing to share something like this is huge. She's always so agreeable, but I don't necessarily want her to be like that all the time. Alice should have an opinion and know she can express it, respectfully of course – not that she could ever be anything but.

"Choc-o-wate chip are yummy," she says definitively. "With sprinkles."

"Sprinkles?" I ask, widening my eyes playfully. "Are you sure you need more sugar? I think you're sweet enough as it is." I reach over a tickle her sides, turning her into a heap of giggles. I pull her over to lie on my chest, and her arms go around my neck as the last of her giggles fade away. I still can't get over how perfect this is.

"You can have as many sprinkles as you want, sweetheart," I promise as I kiss her head. "We'll make them after lunch, okay?"

"Okay, Esme." She sounds so happy as she nuzzles her face into my neck, and right now, I want to confess exactly how I feel about her.

I love this little girl more than I ever thought could be possible. I know what powerful love is like. I've felt that for Carlisle for years. But this is just as strong and…different. Alice is small and vulnerable, and I want to protect her from everything. I want her to be happy, safe, and comfortable.

I just love her.

And I need to talk to Carlisle soon to make sure he feels the same way. We're long overdue for that serious talk now. There are so many thing that need to be decided and quickly.

As if he knows I'm thinking about him, Carlisle appears in the doorway. I smile at him but it falls slightly as I see his sheepish look.

"Um…we have company, wifey." He laughs awkwardly and rubs the back of his neck. "And she won't take no for an answer."

When he steps to the side, I'm surprised to see that Charlotte is behind him.

"Hi, Charlotte," I say slowly. "What are you doing here?" Alice is tense so I pull the covers over us and hold her tightly.

"Good morning," she replies cheerfully. Because this isn't weird at all. "The good news is that I still have my job, but I have to complete a home study as soon as possible."

"And that was today at…eight-thirty in the morning?"

She nods. "Afraid so, but you don't have to interrupt your routine for me. I just need to look around and then I'll need to talk to your for a few minutes. Nothing too involved."

I can't really argue with the woman who's allowing us to keep Alice, so Carlisle and I both agree and send her off to the kitchen so we can get dressed in peace.

"Why does she have to spy on us?" Carlisle murmurs as he helps me climb out of bed with Alice in my arms. "Is she seeing where all the valuables are or something? Do we need a guard dog now?"

I shrug, not really knowing. "I guess she's making sure the house is safe. You better go make sure she's not raiding the refrigerator though. Alice and I are making cookies this afternoon."

She hasn't moved since Charlotte arrived, and I'm starting to worry, especially since the cookie mention doesn't catch her attention.

While Carlisle goes to supervise our visitor, I take Alice into the bathroom. She doesn't want to loosen her grip on my neck, but I finally convince her to sit on the lid of the toilet as I kneel in front of her.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I ask softly, looking up into her worried eyes. "You're safe here."

She sniffles. "I don't wanna go."

I barely hear her whisper, but it immediately expands and crushes my heart.

"Oh, Alice." I gently hold her face between my hands and keep her eyes focused on mine. "Sweetheart, you don't have to go anywhere. Charlotte is _not _here to take you away. I promise. You're staying here with Carlisle and me."

I can tell my words start to calm her, but they can't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. I struggle to not cry with her because her plea means so much. It's everything.

"C'mere, baby." I move my hands from her face and open my arms. She crashes into me and wraps herself around me, both of us comforting the other.

Alice's cries aren't loud – in fact, she's silent. But I still feel every tear that rolls down her cheeks and onto my neck. As they fall, the tension and fear slowly leaves her tiny body, so I hold her tightly and rub her back, letting her get this out.

I can't imagine what she must feel since the last time she was with me and Charlotte showed up was at school five days ago. It feels like it's been a lifetime, but my memories of Alice's screams for me when she was ripped from my arms are crystal clear.

Maybe I can imagine what she's feeling, at least partially. Even if Charlotte did plan to take Alice away from us, I wouldn't let her go without a fight. Not again.

I don't know how long we sit in the floor, but I hope we're not worrying Carlisle. I'm about to suggest we freshen up a little and get dressed, but Alice surprises me by speaking first.

"Esme?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?" I kiss her head and rub her back.

"Esme, I have a tummy bear. Can we eat breakfast, pwease?"

I chuckle, happy that this is a request that I can do something about immediately.

"We surely can eat breakfast and feed that tummy bear." I shift her head back so I can see her face, and I smile when I see that she's smiling. Her nose and eyes are red, but she's still happy. That's all that matters. "Why don't you go find Carlisle while I get dressed? I'm sure he'd love to make you some breakfast."

She nods. "'Kay. I find him."

Then I'm surprised again by her puckered little lips. She's asking for a kiss, for affection. It's the one thing she needs the most, and we've been freely giving it to her. But for her to ask for it, even without words, is incredible and something I didn't expect to happen so soon.

Apparently today is a day of unexpected surprises.

I waste no time in indulging her with a kiss, followed by two more and a loud raspberry on her cheek. She giggles and scrunches her nose before throwing her arms back around my neck. This time, it's more for the joy of it than for comfort, though it does comfort me.

In moments like this, it's easy to see that Alice is far from broken.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you all so much for the continued support! I'm so glad you're still enjoying this story.**

**And thanks to_ MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to_ anhanninen_ for prereading and pimping.**

**See you on Friday! **


	15. Chapter 15

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

><p>Alice is cautious as she leaves the bathroom, but I'm confident she'll find Carlisle without any problems. Charlotte is harmless today, and Carlisle will protect her regardless.<p>

I'm thankful for Alice's hunger because I need a few moments to collect my thoughts.

This being a foster parent thing is a lot more difficult than I ever could have imagined. It's one thing for me to be a teacher and interact with kids all day, but this is different. Alice needs more than what I usually give to my ten students every day, not that I mind giving her everything she needs. It's just…different and a bit draining.

I wonder if Carlisle feels like this. He may work with kids every day, but I'm guessing he's in the same boat as me. We understand how to act and interact, but as far as being _parents_…we have no experience.

Sure, we're doing pretty well flying by the seat of our pants. That can only go so far, though, which is why we need to have a serious talk as soon as possible.

As I grab my clothes and get dressed, my mind goes through ways of getting Charlotte out of our house quickly. The only way I can think of that isn't rude is just to cooperate and show her anything she wants to see. Now I'm regretting not reading all of the paperwork because I'm not even sure what this visit will entail.

Once I'm presentable, I take a deep breath to clear my mind of some of the rushing thoughts before heading to the kitchen.

Calm. I need to be calm.

Seeing Alice's happy face does more to calm me than the deep breath. Carlisle has her on his lap at the breakfast bar, holding her securely. She's relaxed and smiling as they drink their glasses of milk and share glazed donuts that have magically appeared.

Carlisle is the first to notice me in the doorway, and he holds his donut out toward me. "Charlotte brought donuts, wifey. Come eat before they're gone."

I laugh as I cross the room and kiss the tops of their heads. Alice offers me a bite of her sweet treat, and I take it, nibbling her fingers as I do. She giggles and tries to offer me another bite, but I grab my own donut instead and sit beside them.

Charlotte watches us with an amused expression. She isn't eating, but since she has a cup of coffee in front of her, I assume Carlisle has asked if she needed anything.

It's awkward to eat with her watching us, but I don't know what else to do.

"Are we supposed to be doing anything special?" I finally ask. I really don't like being watched, even if the watcher is trying her best to not just openly stare.

Charlotte shakes her head. "No, just go about your regular routine for now, and when I finish seeing the house, we'll talk."

I nod, finish my donut, and down a glass of milk. Alice and Carlisle are still eating or goofing-off. I'm not sure which, but they're having fun so I don't stop them.

Since Charlotte apparently needs to see the house, I ask Carlisle to help Alice get ready when they're finished and then gesture for Charlotte to follow me.

We walk into the living room, and I stop and turn to her.

"Soo…this is our house. Anything particular you need to see?"

"I have a checklist," she explains, waving her little clipboard. "I'll just follow you, if that's okay. It shouldn't take long."

I nod and let her look around the living room before leading her upstairs, stopping in Alice's room first. I grimace when I see the unmade bed and stray toys in the floor.

"Sorry about the mess. We didn't know you were coming and we usually straighten everything after breakfast. I can make the beds real quick if you want."

She smiles and shakes her head. "No, no, no. This is perfect. So many families sterilize their houses when they know I'm coming. That's fine and everything, but I appreciate the houses that are actually lived in. And I'm glad I got to see Alice's sheets. Those are adorable."

I relax and smile. "Carlisle picked those out, and Alice loves them. She loves princesses."

Thinking about Alice relaxes me even further. This is about her, after all. And since I know we're doing everything possible for her, I'm pretty sure Charlotte won't find anything she shouldn't.

Now that I'm relaxed, the visit seems to pass quickly. We finish touring Alice's room then head to the bathroom, master bedroom, and back down to the kitchen. Charlotte checks off her items, whatever they are, and her smile never falls. If anything, she seems even more pleased than when she first arrived.

After she finishes, we sit in the living room and wait for Carlisle and Alice to join us. This is his first day to help her get dressed, and I'm a little nervous for him. She doesn't guard her belly as much when I'm helping, and I don't want Carlisle's feelings to be hurt if she does it with him. It's just going to take time for that reflex to disappear completely.

But when he brings a giggling little girl into the room a few minutes later, I know my worries are without need.

Or maybe not.

"Baby, we need help," he says gravely, flopping down on the couch beside me. "Allie cat wants braids, and I have no idea how to do that."

Alice scoots over to my lap and leans forward to whisper in my ear. "Esme, s'not a braid, huh?" She turns, letting me see the back of her head, and I immediately laugh. It's definitely _not_a braid that Carlisle has created. It's a mess.

"Carlisle, what did you do?" I ask through my laughter. "Make knots?"

He shrugs. "Yes? I don't know. I tried to make it…_pretty_. Can you help us? Please?" He produces a brush and a comb which I take from him in exchange for a kiss.

"Of course I will. Watch how the hair master does it."

With Alice standing in front of me, I gently untangle Carlisle's disastrous braiding attempt and start from scratch. He watches me closely, but I don't think he understands anything I'm doing. We'll have an in-depth lesson when I'm not in a hurry.

Soon, Alice has two near-perfect French braids with pink ribbons at the bottom to match her little sweat suit. I pull her into my lap, and Carlisle wraps his arm around us as we wait for whatever Charlotte has to say.

"You have nothing to worry about," she assures us. "Everything is exactly as it should be, if not better. I'm very impressed."

She gives us a summary of everything she was looking for, but it all seems like a no-brainer to me. Safe environment, basic needs met for Alice…things Carlisle and I made sure to take care of before we brought her home. According to Charlotte, we've gone above and beyond in such a short timespan.

That opinion might be skewed if she thinks we bought all of the Disney movies recently, but we don't correct her.

Charlotte's also amazed by how comfortable Alice is here since she didn't expect it to happen so quickly. Every family is different, but according to her, she's never seen a child adjust like Alice has. Carlisle and I both grin at this information. It's just proof that Alice should be staying with us.

As I walk Charlotte to the door, she assures me that with this paperwork now complete, there's an even slimmer chance of Alice being placed with another family even though we're not certified. We'll be watched closely, but as long as we continue to do what we're doing, everything will be fine.

She also mentions adoption. That's a possible option for us too. If that's our end goal, this process could be even smoother for us. I tell her that we're still talking about it but hope she can see in my eyes that it's a strong possibility.

I return to the living room after seeing Charlotte off, and I'm not surprised to see Carlisle and Alice curled up in the recliner with a movie playing. Having a guest is tiring, especially with all the stress we felt with this particular guest.

But as soon as Alice is napping, Carlisle and I will finally have a chance to talk. I don't intend to miss the opportunity.

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><p><strong>AN: So sorry for the late update. RL has just attacked me lately.**

**Lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think.**

**See you on Monday! **

**(And as a side note to my Perfect Love readers, expect a teaser in the next few days!)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>Alice falls asleep quickly with the help of her princess movie, and Carlisle lays her on the couch so she'll be more comfortable. After he covers her with a blanket, I offer my hand to him which he takes without question and threads his fingers through mine.<p>

Without a word, I lead him to the front door and grab my jacket off the hook. Once he does the same, I pull him out the door to the front porch.

The rain is still falling steadily, but I like it. It didn't feel right to have this conversation inside. Outside is clearer, freer, calmer, and the rain is soothing in a way. I haven't thought much about the setting for this conversation, but I think I've chosen the best one.

Sitting on our gliding loveseat with Carlisle's arms wrapped around me is perfect for this.

I sigh as I cuddle closer to him until I'm almost sitting in his lap, not that he would mind. I tilt my head back and place a kiss on his jaw, leaving my lips in place until he laughs and brings my lips to his.

His eyes are happy as they meet mine, and after he gets a few kisses in, he stops.

"Are we out here for a specific reason, baby?" he asks softly, seeing through me as always.

I nod. "Mmhmm. I was hoping we could talk. About some stuff."

"I'm guessing this chat isn't about what we're having for lunch?"

"Not quite. But I was thinking pizza."

He nods thoughtfully. "Pizza's good. And your thoughts are good too, so let me hear them."

"Okay. Well…I love Alice."

He nods again. "Going for the obvious to start out, huh? Nice technique. I'll counter that by saying that I love her too."

"You do?" I ask, even though it's clear in his eyes.

"I do," he whispers, kissing my forehead. "I didn't know what it would be like to love a kid like this. It's pretty awesome."

"Very awesome," I agree with a sigh, relaxing once more. "So what are we going to do about that? We have some decisions to make. Big decisions."

He's silent for a moment which doesn't worry me. I know he's just thinking and organizing those thoughts before speaking because this is important. I do love his random answers to everything, but his well thought out ones are even better.

"Well, we have to keep her. That's a given, right?"

I nod but have to chuckle too. This is making Alice sound like some kind of puppy or something.

"And I guess…what? We'll adopt her? Can we do that?"

I shrug. "Charlotte mentioned it to me, so I think we can. You'd want that? Really?" I try to keep the hope out of my voice in case it isn't what he really wants.

Carlisle gasps and pulls me back so he has a better view of my face. "Esme Anne, are you pulling my leg? Because I know you didn't just ask that."

Before I can reply, he continues.

"There's no way we can let my Allie cat leave now. And I know it's been a couple months since we've talked about kids, but we were never against it, right? We were waiting for the right time, and maybe now's the right time. It isn't like having a baby from your uterus, but I like different. You like different. We can be different with Alice because we love her. And…stuff. Yeah."

I giggle and run my fingers through his hair. "You're adorable when you ramble. And…_yeah_."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhmm. Yeah."

"Okay." He takes a deep breath, letting it out as he pulls me back to his side. "Okay. So we're going to be parents? For real parents?"

The thought sends the best chill up my spine. "I think so. _Daddy_."

"I like that too, _Mommy._The names seem to work for us. Good."

"Very good," I agree.

We glide for a while without speaking. The rain and Carlisle's heart under my ear are enough to fill the silence.

Eventually, we discuss all the little details, but they don't create any issues. We'll have to talk to Charlotte again soon to let her know what our intentions are. And as far as Alice goes, we decide to continue reassuring her without pressuring. As long as she's happy and knows we love her, everything else can figure itself out.

Our quiet time is only interrupted when a very confused little girl finds us on the porch. I jump up immediately and go to her, lifting her into my arms. She's disoriented and whining, but once she's in my arms, she relaxes right away.

"Did you have a good nap, precious?" I kiss her temple and sit back next to Carlisle. He wraps his arms around both of us and kisses Alice's head.

"Esme, you not inside, and I miss you," she confesses softly, burrowing her face against my neck. "I need you. Hold me."

"Oh, baby, I'm right here," I assure her. "Carlisle and I didn't go anywhere. We just wanted to sit outside for a while. And I can hold you as long as you want, okay?"

I almost wish there was a way for her to know exactly how much I need her…how much Carlisle and I both need her. This relationship isn't one-sided by any means.

We sit outside for a few more minutes, letting the rain soothe any remaining agitation. Carlisle does his part with that too and soon has us all laughing.

Now that the heavy is out of the way, the afternoon seems brighter. The rain even stops right after we finish our pizza lunch. I don't change our plans though. Alice wants to make cookies, so cookies we make – complete with sprinkles, sprinkles, and more sprinkles. Carlisle helps which increases the mess exponentially, but we have the best time together. The tasty cookies are just an added bonus.

At bedtime, some of the separation fears return, and Alice winds up in our bed again. I read through three books before she finally falls asleep, but even then, her arms are wrapped around one of Carlisle's like a vice so that he can't move.

I hate that one visit from a social worker has put so much fear into my favorite girl. She doesn't need this right now. Her world needs to be stable and without any threats. I understand why Charlotte came unannounced, but I think we need to also mention that when we talk about adoption. We need some warning next time to prepare Alice. All of this was probably avoidable.

I try to think of this as a slumber party even though I had plans to attack my husband tonight. All the talk of being parents has me hot and bothered. Carlisle is my very own DILF, and I really, really want to fulfill those letters.

Renee's offer to babysit will be redeemed very soon.

And since Carlisle has the whole week off, we have plenty of opportunities. When he told me he was out on paternity leave, I had laughed at first. It's impressive that he and his boss could come up with such a creative solution to get him some paid time-off, but after our talk today, it seems very fitting.

Alice didn't come from my uterus, as Carlisle so eloquently phrased. But she's our new child. We need the same time to adjust as we would with a newborn. And she's much more fun than a newborn with her vast imagination and unlimited hugs and kisses. The giggles are priceless too.

I dread going back to real life, but we have six days left. There's no telling how much fun we can pack into six days, and I know I'll enjoy every minute of it.

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><p><strong>AN: In exciting news, _A Family for Alice_ has been nominated in The Wordsmith Awards for Best Alice. Thank you so, so much to whoever nominated little Alice. I'm still a bit shocked. Voting doesn't start until later in the month, but the link to see the full list of nominees is on my profile. **

**Lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading. **

**And thanks to all of you who continue to read! Feel free to let me know what you think.**

**See you on Wednesday! **


	17. Chapter 17

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>"Are you excited, sweetheart?" My question is probably a stupid one, based on the way Alice is bouncing around in front of me.<p>

She stops bouncing long enough to turn around to face me. "I never been to the zoo, Esme," she tells me with a smile. "But it sounds so coowal!"

"It's very, very cool," I tell her as I attempted to finish brushing her hair into a ponytail. The extra effort is not annoying. I'm just happy she's back to her happy self this morning.

Last night was tough. Alice had a nightmare along with another episode of bedwetting. We weren't prepared for it but somehow managed to function enough at two am to handle it. After I cleaned Alice up and Carlisle changed the sheets, it took another hour and multiple books and songs before she fell back to sleep on Carlisle's chest.

Needless to say, we're not very happy with Charlotte right now. I don't blame her entirely, though. My theory is that a lot of this fear has been building up and Charlotte's visit is what pushed the limit. A five year old can only hold onto so much before it all comes out. I hope we can move forward from this and encourage Alice to talk to us now rather than later to avoid all of the middle of the night drama.

When I finish Alice's hair, she climbs into my lap and settles against me. "Esme, where's Carwile? He disappeared."

I chuckle as I place a kiss on the top of her head. "Carlisle went to bring a surprise for you. He'll be back soon."

"Surprise for me?" she asks, looking up at me in disbelief.

"Just for you," I promise.

I hate that she can't believe that we'd do something special for her. Carlisle and I both would give her the world if we could. Today we're starting small and giving her her best friend.

"Do you want to wait at the door for him?" I suggest. She immediately nods and starts pulling me to the door, making me laugh. "All right, all right. Stand over here with me." I pull her back to me and hold her in place as she bounces some more.

Soon, there's another excited little girl running onto our porch with Carlisle right behind her. He manages to open the door, and as soon as he does, Bella's hugging Alice like they haven't seen each other in years.

"Hey, Allie! I misseded you when I was sick, but now I'm better and you're here!"

Alice giggles. "Bewa, we jumped in the puddles, 'member? With Carwile and you's daddy and Esme."

"And Mommy yelled. A lot," Bella adds, and they giggle some more.

I look over at Carlisle, and his smile is as big as mine. The two of them are adorable, and even though it's only been a few days, it's clear that they've missed each other so much.

Carlisle dramatically clears his throat, but that doesn't work to distract them. Neither does tapping their shoulders.

"Okay, ladies," he says, raising his voice slightly. "I'm making a quick trip to the potty."

Hearing him say potty just makes the giggles continue. I roll my eyes and corral them toward the living room.

As we wait, Bella entertains us with a rundown of what she did last night, what she's done this morning, and then leads into an attempt to name as many animals as possible.

This game continues as the girls go potty, as Carlisle loads the car, and as I buckle them into their booster seats. When Carlisle joins in, he draws it out until we're pulling into the parking lot of the zoo.

Charlie and Renee pull in beside us and wave. Today has many goals. We want Alice to have a wonderful time seeing the animals with her friend, but we also want her to be a little more comfortable around Charlie and Renee so they can watch her for a few hours this evening. When Renee called me this morning to ask about going to the zoo, I couldn't _not _take her up on the offer.

Once we're out of the car, Alice attaches herself to me, refusing to let me put her down. Bella notices the strange behavior, but Carlisle and Charlie manage to distract her as we walk to the entrance. Renee smiles sadly, but keeps her distance as I attempt to calm my girl.

"Are you excited, precious?" I whisper, repeating my question from earlier this morning. This time, all I get is a nod instead of happy bouncing. "Yeah? I'm excited too. But I don't think you'll see the animals like this." She nods in protest, and I hold in my chuckle. "You think you can see them?" Another nod. "Well, okay. But if you change your mind, everything is safe here. Nothing will hurt you, I promise." I kiss her head and don't say anything else as Carlisle buys our tickets.

Thankfully, the zoo isn't too crowded today. We're able to walk around and see what we want to see without fighting anyone for a good view.

We all attempt to engage Alice, pointing out each animal and asking questions. It doesn't take long for her to lift her head from my shoulder and actually look around.

When she's fully enjoying herself and looking at all the animals, Carlisle steals her from me and lifts her to sit on his shoulders. Charlie does the same with Bella, and both little girls squeal and giggle together.

The rest of the day is perfect. We walk around the zoo, getting a good look at all the animals. At lunch, we take a break and eat the picnic lunch I packed for us. Once we're full, we head back to the animals and visit our favorites once more. Alice, Bella, and Carlisle love seeing the ones they've seen in Disney movies and even do impersonations of their favorite characters. Renee and I sit back and watch with content smiles. I really do love this new life.

The drive home is silent. Alice and Bella nap with smiles on their faces and holding their new stuffed grizzly bears. They refused to get anything else, and they had to get the same thing. But as long as they're happy, we're happy.

Carlisle takes his time driving home so the girls can get a good nap in. They wake as soon as we pull into the driveway as if they've developed some sort of sixth sense.

Bella runs directly over to her house once she's out of the car which gives us a moment to talk to Alice. Carlisle carries her to the porch, and we sit together on the glider.

"Was the zoo lots of fun, Allie cat?" Carlisle asks her, and she nods.

"Uh huh. We saw wots and wots of aminals, huh Carwile?"

"We sure did. Did you have fun with Bellaroo?"

Alice giggles as she nods. Carlisle's new nickname for Bella made its first appearance while we watched the kangaroos. I feel bad for the girl because with Carlisle, nicknames stick. I've been called wifey for eight years because even in high school, he knew that I'd be his wife one day.

"Would you like to play with Bella for a few more hours?" I ask, seizing the window of opportunity.

"I can do that?" She tilts her head to the side, honestly puzzled.

"Of course you can! Mrs. Renee and Mr. Charlie want you to play with Bella and eat dinner with them. Does that sound like fun?"

She tenses slightly. "You come too, Esme?"

"Not this time, precious," I say, shaking my head. "But Carlisle and I will be right next door, and we'll come get you as soon as you want to come home."

Carlisle kisses her temple. "They won't hurt you, Allie cat. Mr. Charlie is a police officer. He'll protect you from alllll the bad guys in the world."

"Does he have a fashy woud car?"

I chuckle as I lean forward and point over to Charlie's cruiser. "He sure does. See?"

Her eyes follow my finger, and she smiles when she sees the car. "I pway with Bewa now?"

I nod. "You can go as soon as you give me a kiss."

Her smile widens as she leans over to kiss me. I give her several loud kisses before Carlisle carries her next door.

Charlie and Bella are sitting in the swing on their porch, and I watch as Alice timidly joins them. Carlisle makes sure she settled and then walks back to our house.

He takes my hand, leads me inside, closes the door, and presses me against it. I don't have a chance to gasp before his lips are hungrily attached to mine. The shock passes within seconds, and my fingers thread to his hair, holding him against me. After half of a week of sweet and tender kisses, I've almost forgotten what these kisses are like. Almost.

"I need you naked," Carlisle breathes against my lips. "I missed you so much, Esme."

I can only moan as I wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. He takes the hint and carries me to the bedroom. I'd love to go a round against the door, but since the children might still be outside, it's probably best to take this somewhere else.

Carlisle wastes no time after tossing me on the bed. His clothes are on the floor in a matter of seconds, and mine follow. This is all so fast but it's thrilling and exactly what we both need.

There's no need for any more build-up, so within seconds of crawling to me, he's inside me. Lips are attached, hands are roaming, backs are arching. I can barely catch my breath because it feels _so _good. It's hard and fast, but I wouldn't want it to be any other way.

I scream out his name right before he grunts mine, and we both take a few minutes to just be. Moving seems like so much trouble at this point, but Carlisle eventually rolls us over. I guess breathing _is _easier from this position.

"I understand now," he sighs after a few minutes. "I understand why kids have some many of those play date things. Parents get to play too."

I snort but don't disagree. If this is what we'll be doing when Alice is playing with Bella, they can have as many play dates as they want.

After we clean up after round two, we're too tired to make anything special for dinner. The sandwiches are delicious though. As is the way Carlisle presses me against the kitchen counter while we're supposed to be cleaning up. Getting dirty is much more fun, after all.

Alice comes home a couple of hours before bedtime, and she's in a good mood too. With a smile on her face, she tells us all about Mrs. Renee making spaghetti and Mr. Charlie showing them the lights on his car – but not the sound because that hurts their ears.

We also learn that Bella has a rather large collection of Barbie dolls, and Alice loves playing with them. I can see the wheels turning in Carlisle's head as he plans a toy-shopping trip, but I file the information away for Christmas since it's less than three months away.

The thought of having Alice with us at Christmas is exciting. I hope nothing happens to take that away from us, but I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll have her for this Christmas and many Christmases to come.

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><p><strong>AN: There's a possibility that the next chapter might be posted a bit late. It might be on time, but no one worry too much if it isn't.**

**Thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading. **

**And thanks to all of you for reading! Your reviews are always so lovely.**

**See you on Friday (hopefully)! **


	18. Chapter 18

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>I can't believe how quickly the week passes, but before I know it, it's Monday morning and my alarm is going off. I don't even bother opening my eyes as I roll away from Carlisle and hit the snooze button before rolling back.<p>

The alarm is set for much earlier than it has to be because I need the few extra minutes to fully wake up. Carlisle will be pushing me out of bed soon so I let my mind wander to prevent sleep from capturing me again.

The week did pass quickly, but we filled it with so much. Whenever it wasn't raining, we played at the park, enjoying it as much as possible while the temperature is still fairly decent. In a few days, outside play just won't be possible.

We also enjoyed more Disney movies, dress-up, and pretend. Friday night, we accepted a dinner invitation from Jane, and everyone had a good time. Yesterday, dinner was with the Swans which was just as fun. I'm sure Alice would be just as content to sit around the house, but we're trying to fill her life with good things. Good things like play time and friends and family dinners.

And now it's Monday and back to school and work for the three of us. I'm equal parts excited and nervous. Alice has done so well adjusting to living with us, and I'm almost afraid that letting too much real life in will jeopardize that. Her last day at school wasn't the most pleasant by any means, but deep down, I know she can handle it. She loves to learn and be in the classroom.

Plus, we talked to her last night and gave her the option of staying out for a few more days. Carlisle has the option of two weeks of paternity leave, and even though he planned to only take one, adding the other one won't be too much of a problem. He'd do it in a heartbeat for Alice. But she's a tough cookie and told us that she wants to go back to school with me today, so that's exactly what we'll be doing.

Now that I think about it, today is actually really exciting. It's the first day I get to wake Alice up and then take her to school with me. It's the first time – of hopefully many – that Carlisle will be making two lunches. He always includes a napkin love note in mine, and I can't wait to see what he'll put in Alice's.

These thoughts are enough to make me want to roll out of bed when the alarm goes off again. No Carlisle pushing required.

Alice is sound asleep when I walk into her room. I turn on her lamp, not wanting to completely shock her since it's still dark outside. I gently rub her arm as I place a kiss on her forehead, and only a few seconds pass before she reaches up to wrap her arms around my neck.

I chuckle softly as I lift her into my arms.

"Good morning, precious. Have good dreams?"

"Mmhmm," she murmurs, nodding against me.

"That's great, baby." The nightmares seem to be staying away for now, and Carlisle and I are both very thankful. Any night without them is a good night.

"Do you wanna cuddle with Carlisle for a while? You need to get ready for school soon, but Carlisle's still in bed."

"I wanna see Carwile," she says with a yawn. "Him cuddwy."

She's right about him being cuddly in the morning, and if I can't enjoy it, someone should. And since Miss Alice is also cuddly in the morning, she's the perfect choice.

I carry Alice back to our room, and Carlisle's still mostly asleep. He's awake enough to pull Alice to snuggle beside him, though, so I leave them in peace as I go to get ready.

My shower is quick but it hot enough to energize me for the day. I spend a few extra minutes on my hair just for Carlisle's enjoyment. The ponytail I'd sported all week had been fine, but I know Carlisle likes curls.

Since I laid my clothes out last night, dressing doesn't take very long. When I'm finished in the bathroom, the bed is empty so I grab my shoes and head down to the kitchen.

Carlisle has made breakfast, and the scent of bacon makes my mouth water. He smiles when he sees me and fixes me a plate before I can even ask.

I sit on the stool next to Alice at the counter, and I'm surprised to see that she's already dressed too.

"Good morning, wifey," Carlisle says, kissing me as he places a full plate in front of me. "Allie cat wanted bacon and eggs for breakfast, so that's what we're having."

I smile and turn to wink at Alice. "Bacon and eggs are just perfect. Thank you both."

Breakfast tastes as good as it smells, and it doesn't take long for us to clean our plates. We all help to clean up, many hands making the work light. With all of us helping, the kitchen is back to normal with plenty of time for Carlisle to make our lunches.

While he takes care of that, Alice and I go to her room. She goes to her closet and grabs the shoes she wants to wear and brings them over to me. The simple act makes me smile. I love that she's comfortable enough to get what she needs from her room. It's her space, after all.

"Esme, can I wear these shoes?" she asks as she holds up a pair of brown suede boots.

I nod and take them from her as she sits on the floor. "Those are perfect." And they really are.

Renee was right about Bella's hand-me-downs. Most of them – including the outfit Alice is wearing today – look like they haven't even been worn once, and every piece is more adorable than the next.

For today, I picked a pair of jeans, a white owl t-shirt, and a pink cardigan. Alice had her say last night, but she loved everything I picked. I'm not delusional and thinking that this attitude will last as she gets older.

I help Alice with the boots, and after they're situated, I start on her hair. It's wild this morning, and there's no way Carlisle could have tamed it if he'd wanted to. Clothes he can handle, but hair is another story.

There's no request today, so I play around until I'm satisfied with the hair bow placement. It looks good to me, but Alice needs to give her vote of approval.

"Come on," I say as I offer her my hand. "Let's go look in the big mirror."

Alice grins and drags me toward the master bedroom. I laugh at her exuberance and as she studies herself in the mirror. Her smile is all the proof I need, but she offers more.

"Esme, I'm gonna wook so pretty at schoowal today."

I kneel beside her and pull her into a hug. "Yes, you are. You're so beautiful, sweetheart."

Looking up, I check the clock and see that it's almost time for me to leave. I stand and lift Alice into my arms, surprising her by spinning in a circle. She wraps her arms around me and giggles.

"I have to leave for school soon," I say regretfully. I hate that our morning fun has to end now. "Do you want to go with me or stay here with Carlisle for a little while?"

She furrows her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side. "I don't go to your room? I go to Miss Cuwen, uh huh?"

"You're so smart, precious. You _are _in my room, but I have to go to school early for a meeting. Carlisle can bring you to school later, and then you'll come to my room. Wanna do that?"

She thinks for a moment then nods. "'Kay. I go to your room, but now I stay with Carwile. Can we watch cartoons?"

I laugh and set her down. "I'm sure he'd love to watch cartoons with you. Go ask him."

She runs toward the living room, and I take one last look in the mirror. My smile is wide which isn't normal for this time of day. I expect to be smiling like this at noon, but not at six forty-five. My favorite girl makes even early mornings fun.

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><p><strong>AN: I didn't think I would have time to update, but I managed to squeeze it in.**

**Lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading! I hope you have a great weekend.**

**See you on Monday!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>Now that I've left Carlisle and Alice watching Spongebob in the recliner together, I'm starting to wish that it wasn't a school day. Who needs to learn anyway?<p>

Rose is waiting for me in the school parking lot, and as soon as I park and exit my car, her arm is linked through mine as we walk into school together.

"So how was your break, new mommy?" She playfully bumps her hip against mine and grins.

"Way too short. How was yours?"

"Same. I love sleeping late and actually having time to myself. I guess seeing Emmett for longer than a few hours every day is good too. But then Em spent every free moment watching Sports Center which reminds me that I'm supposed to invite you to come over Saturday for the game. It's an afternoon game, but we're still having food. And I thought maybe we could have a girls morning before the game and go shopping in PA. You, me, Alice. Sound okay?"

I laugh as we take our seats in the library. Rose has no issues saying what she needs to say – and quickly. I'm surprised her face isn't blue from not breathing, but she's not even winded as she sits and waits for my answer.

"I'll have to talk to Carlisle and Alice, but that sounds great. Can I let you know tonight?"

"Of course. But you better say yes. You know I'm mad that Jane got you before I did."

I laugh and nod. "Yes, I know." I also know that I should heed her threat. An unhappy Rose isn't good for anyone. "I'm sure you'll see us all on Saturday."

She smiles, my answer pleasing her. "Excellent. I can't wait to hear all about all the fun you've had with Alice."

I roll my eyes but don't have time to respond as Mrs. James begins the faculty meeting. It's the same-old, same-old with only some additions since we're about to be preparing for the holiday season. Halloween is just around the corner and with that comes the annual fall festival. From there, things will be even busier with Thanksgiving and Christmas. We won't have much time to breathe, that's for sure.

Once the meeting is over, Rosalie drags me toward our classrooms, not even waiting to see if Heidi has anything individual to say. I have a feeling she'll be saying something to me soon because she already knows about Alice staying with us. I don't know if it will change anything here at school or not, but for Alice's sake, I hope everything will stay the same. There's only so much change she can handle.

Rosalie chatters on about what she needs to shop for this weekend. I half-way listen to her Christmas list as only a sister can. I'm pretty sure I catch all the important parts.

We separate at my door, and I turn the light on as I enter. I notice a few things are not as I left them, but that's to be expected. A substitute teacher can only go so far to be like the actual teacher, and the misplaced worksheets and books can be fixed without much effort.

As I sit at my desk and wait, the anticipation is high. I'm excited to see my students after being away for so long, almost as excited as I was on the first day. But now, it's more special because I know who will be here first.

Right on time, my favorite girl peeks in the door, and I motion for her to come to me. With a smile on her face, she runs over.

"Hey, precious," I say as I help her into my lap. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Carwile drived me in the car, Esme," she says with bright eyes. "And I have a wunch box. See?" She lifts the pink and purple turtle lunch box up for me to see.

"I see that, sweetheart. Do you like your new lunch box?"

She nods so quickly that her hair whips around her face. Her pure joy at something so simple brings tears to my eyes. Not only can we guarantee that she has a lunch every day, but we're also able to provide a lunch box that makes her happy. We can give her so much more than this, but this is all it takes to make her happy.

"And I'm 'sposed to give you this," she says. "From Carwile." She puckers her lips, and I laugh as I kiss her.

"Thank you so much, precious. That's just what I needed this morning. Are you ready to learn with everyone today?"

She nods again, slower this time. "Yahuh, Esme. You's Miss Cuwen now, and I sit at my desk next to Bewa."

After another kiss, she jumps off my lap and goes to sit at her desk. It seems we won't have any trouble adjusting from home time to school time. Alice understands the difference, so in my mind, there's no reason for Heidi to have anything to say about our unique situation. We can handle it.

As soon as the rest of my students arrive, the day officially begins. We start out slowly with some play time followed by a story, just to ease them back into the routine.

By lunch, they're all adjusting well, but I do have to remind several of the boys to remain seated at our table. Alice sits beside me as always, but today, we don't have to share my lunch.

Carlisle has gone above and beyond with our lunches today. We each have a sandwich sans crust, but Alice's is cut into two hearts. I wish I could capture the look on her face because she looks like she's unwrapping the best present ever instead of a lunch. The notes are an added bonus.

Alice's note is short but no less appreciated than if Carlisle had written her a novel.

_Allie cat, I hope you have a great day at school today. You can tell me all about it when you get home. I love you._

His name is signed, followed by a goofy face that shows off his not-so-great artistic skills. Alice doesn't let it out of her sight all through lunch.

My note doesn't leave my sight either but for a very different reason.

_Beautiful Esme Wifey, the hair's for me, isn't it? Just wait til you see what I have for you. Give that some thought and have a good day. I love you._

He concluded it with a winky face that does something magical to my insides. He should know better than to write something so suggestive for me to read while surrounded by five year olds, but that's never stopped him in the past. And I love his notes too much to tell him to change them.

The rest of the day is a bit crazier than the morning, but we manage to get through it. At the end of the day, it's just Alice and me in the classroom. I can tell she's ready to go home, so I try to hurry through my end of the day cleanup. Rosalie comes by to both help me and let Alice become comfortable around her. I don't think it's all that necessary since they've seen each other at school every week, but Rosalie can't be stopped.

When I finally give Alice the word that we're ready to go, some of her hesitance returns. It's unsettling to see this after a few days of complete calm.

"What's wrong, baby?" I ask as I lift her into my arms. Her arms wrap around my neck, and I kiss her temple.

"Where we goin', Esme?" she whispers.

"We're going home, sweetheart. Carlisle's waiting for us."

My answer seems to relax her, and suddenly I think I understand what this is about. We've talked about going to school and how this morning would go, but we never mentioned what would happen after school. In my mind, it's clear that Alice will come home with me, but she needs the reassurance. I can give her that.

"You're still staying with us," I promise. "No one will take you away. Okay?"

She nods. "'Kay. I wanna see Carwile."

I give her another kiss and gather up our things so I can make her request happen. I know Carlisle wants to see us too, and the sooner we get home, the sooner we can enjoy time as a family.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you all so much for continuing to read and review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**And of course, lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for preading.**

**See you on Wednesday!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>I never want to go shopping with Rosalie again. We've been at this for three hours, and I'm in desperate need of a nap before my feet rebel against me.<p>

I think I might love whoever invented mall play places though. After going to nearly every store in the mall, we all need a break, and this little area is perfect. Rose and I can sit and rest on the couches around the edge, and Alice can burn off the energy she's been saving up while going from store to store with us. She especially deserves some playtime for not once complaining, even when Rosalie had us trying on outfit after outfit in several stores.

And lucky for Alice, one of her friends from school is here playing too. Leah Clearwater is another one of my quiet students, and lately, she's been spending most of her time with Bella and Alice. She's a sweet girl, and I'm glad Alice has another good friend.

I'm also glad that Leah's mother, Sue, is as sweet as her daughter. Her eyes meet mine as I scan the play area, and she smiles and nods. I smile back and wave, beyond grateful for her support.

It took all of one day for Heidi to say something about Alice both living with me and being in my class. Her solution was to simply move Alice to Rosalie's class, but once Alice heard this, Carlisle and I spent a very long and sleepless night trying to calm her down and keep the separation-based nightmares away.

We weren't sure what to do, but the next day we discovered that it didn't matter. Alice's story – or at least part of it – has already spread in our small town, probably thanks our extended family. Many of the parents of the students in my class came to the school, not to complain but to offer support. They don't care because their kids love being in my class and they know I'm not giving anyone special treatment. Heidi had no choice but to allow Alice to stay with me.

I'm pretty sure Sue Clearwater was one of the parents who organized that meet up, and I'm forever grateful for the acceptance. We just want Alice to be happy, and to receive approval from so many other parents is a bit overwhelming in the best way.

Alice runs over and climbs into my lap, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Hey, precious," I say as I hug her tightly. "Are you having fun?"

She nods. "Uh huh. Weah is fun. Can I pway some more?"

"Sure, baby. Have a sip of water, and then you can have ten more minutes." I figure that will be enough time for us to finish resting so we can finish our shopping and head home.

I offer Alice the cup of water we're sharing, and she takes a big drink then smiles and surprises me with a kiss. "Thank you, Esme. Wuv you."

My insides melt as I hug her again. "I love you too, my precious girl."

She runs back to join Leah, and they continue their climbing and sliding.

I relax against the cushioned seat, filled with more joy than I know what to do with. I can't really remember what life was like without Alice, but I don't want to try.

"You're good at that," Rosalie comments.

"Good at what?" I ask, turning to face her.

"That. Being a mom. You're a natural."

"You really think so?" I don't usually fish for compliments, but this is one thing I want to be good at. Alice deserves the best mom and dad she can get. I know Carlisle is a natural dad, but I doubt myself.

She reaches over and squeezes my hand. "I know so. And Alice is so happy. I'm glad you two came with me today."

I smile and squeeze back. "Thanks for inviting us. We've had a great day so far. How much longer do you plan to shop?"

"We can leave after this." She waves her phone. "Emmett texted, and he's hungry but doesn't want to eat without us. I swear that man is always hungry. And I really wouldn't mind if he started eating his super supreme pizza without us, but he insists."

"Well, we can't keep them waiting for too much longer," I say with a laugh. "I want to get Alice a cookie on our way out. We should get Carlisle and Emmett one too. Because we're good wives who don't want our husbands to starve."

"Starve, my ass," she grumbles, but still smiles. We really do love our husbands, insane appetites and all.

Ten minutes later, I find Alice and help her put her jacket on. After saying our goodbyes to Leah and Sue, we head toward the door, stopping to buy a bag full of chocolate chip cookies on the way out.

Alice holds my hand and skips happily with her cookie as we walk to the car. Every few moments, I catch her glancing at me with the strangest expression. I have no idea what it means, but when I smile at her, she returns it immediately so I'm not too worried.

We barely drive five minutes before she's out like a light, so I blame the lack of sleep for the strange looks. We're still recovering from our sleepless night earlier this week, after all. Alice needs some good rest.

As soon as Rosalie pulls into her driveway, Carlisle is at my car door, greeting me with a kiss.

"Miss me?" I tease, hugging him tightly.

He smiles brightly, eyes twinkling. "Of course, baby. Buy me anything good?"

"I picked up our Halloween costumes. And I have some cookies for you and Emmett."

He kisses me again, this time long and slow. Rosalie is out of the car by now, and I vaguely hear her grumbling about Emmett not inheriting the romantic gene.

"I love cookies," he breathes out when his lips release mine.

It takes more than a second for me to fully catch my breath. He's talented.

With a promise of a cookie as soon as we're settled inside, Carlisle carries our bags and Alice into the house. He gets comfortable on the couch with her, and then I pass him his snack.

I turn down the TV and leave them in the quiet room. In the kitchen, I fix myself a glass of soda while watching Emmett eat his three cookies in the blink of an eye.

"What?" he asks, catching me staring. "I'm a growing boy."

I snort. "Sure you are. And your mother is very grateful that you don't live with her anymore."

"Her loss." He shrugs. "So how was _shopping_?"

His disdain for the activity is very clear and so is the underlying gratefulness. Alice and I saved him from his version of hell on a Saturday morning.

"It was…fast." I choose my words carefully because Rosalie can probably hear us. "And tiring. But I enjoyed it, and I think Alice did too. She got lots of new outfits."

"Good. My niece deserves the best."

I smile, loving how Emmett has taken to being an uncle. This morning, he tried his best to win her over, clearly jealous that she's fine with Rosalie but not him. Alice's hesitance around new people is not something I expect to go away anytime soon. She doesn't want to be hurt again, and I can't blame her. But fortunately for Emmett, she already likes him. I'll just wait for her to tell him herself when she wakes.

Rosalie returns from unpacking her loot and fixes a drink before the three of us join Carlisle and Alice in the living room. The pizza arrives a few minutes later, and we all settle in with that and Emmett's homemade nachos just in time for the football game to start.

I promise myself to go running with Carlisle tomorrow morning as I eat my weight in nachos. Emmett won't give up his job as a pharmacist to make these for me every day even though I've asked several times. It's probably for the best.

When Emmett's team scores, he tries but fails to hide his excitement, and his yelling causes Alice to jump in Carlisle's arms. Carlisle takes Alice into the other room to let her wake in peace and returns with a smiling little girl in his arms.

"Miss Alice is ready for some snacks," he says as he sits back down and holds her close. Everyone knows better than to interfere with their cuddle time.

I fix her a plate with cheese pizza and nachos which she happily digs into.

As the game goes on, it takes a while for Alice to adjust to Emmett and Carlisle's excitement. Gradually, she relaxes and learns when to clap and pout.

The afternoon passes quickly thanks to our food and fun, and once again, adding Alice to our family has been seamless. Nothing is awkward or forced because everyone truly loves her.

Emmett is the one pouting when it's time for us to leave. But his frown is quickly turned upside down when Alice lets him pick her up for a hug.

"Next time, we'll get you a cheerleader outfit," he tells her.

She giggles. "You need one too, Unco Emmett. With pompoms!"

He nods and kisses the tip of her nose. "You've got it, kid. We'll be the best dam…arn cheerleaders ever."

"Nice save," Carlisle mumbles, patting his brother on the back.

Emmett smiles sheepishly as he passes Alice to Rosalie. "Yeah, well. I'm not used to having a kid around. Do we need one of those bad word jar things I've heard about?"

"Do you plan on needing one?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. Like a smart man, he shakes his head. "We should be fine then."

We finish saying our goodbyes and head home. Alice is wired from the soda we let her have, so the rest of the evening is spent running around outside. I love the play time with Alice, and I more than make up for the nachos I ate. It's a win-win, especially since I now don't need to go running with Carlisle in the morning.

All three of us are sweaty messes when we finally go inside. After a light dinner and a quick bath for Alice, she falls asleep without even needing a bedtime story.

Carlisle and I use our extra time in the shower, making sure we're squeaky clean and more than satisfied. It's definitely the best way to end a Saturday and makes me hope we have many more like this in the future.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you all so much for continuing to read and review. I love knowing that you're enjoying the story. **

**And thank you to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**See you on Friday!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

><p>It's amazing how fast time passes when you're having fun. And with Carlisle and Alice, every day is a fun day.<p>

That's not to say that every day is perfect. We've had our struggles, our steps back after all the steps forward. Thankfully, we usually go three steps forward before having to take half a step back, and that's fine with me. Carlisle and I know that this will be a process for Alice, as well as the two of us. And even though we adjusted seamlessly at first, the adjustment period isn't going to end after a week or two.

Separating my role of parent and teacher hasn't been too difficult, although Alice has questions. I never regret the decisions to keep her in my classroom, but it is confusing at times for her. We've discovered that Alice is afraid of making mistakes, afraid of being in trouble. I don't want to think about where this fear stems from. I just want to relieve it, but it isn't always possible.

Alice is a five year old, after all. She's seen more than any child should, but she still has her moments of being five – complete with exerting her will and all. Honestly, it makes me happy to see her acting like a normal kid, but disciplining her the one time she has needed it so far was heartbreaking. Seeing her afraid of me – all because I sent her to her room to think – broke me to the point of needing to call Carlisle at work for his reassurances.

We're stronger now for it, though. Alice is learning that even if she gets in trouble, we still love her and will never hurt her. And Carlisle and I have learned that we need to look into possible counselors. This isn't something we can completely "fix" by ourselves. Our love goes a long way, but maybe not all the way. We love Alice enough to do anything possible for her.

The heavy stuff can wait a few days. Tonight is our annual fall festival at school, and we're all excited. It's our first outing as our new little family, and I know we'll have a good time. We have the support of the community, and childishly, I want to rub it in Heidi's face.

We even have matching costumes for the festival as well as for trick-or-treating this weekend, making it even more special.

Alice is jumping around, just like before we went to the zoo, and I love seeing her so excited.

"Just let me tie the apron and put the bow in your hair," I tell her, laughing as she attempts to stay still but fails. Somehow, I manage to tie the white apron strings into a bow and then slip the large white hairbow into the perfect spot on the first try. "There you go, precious. You're the prettiest Alice I've ever seen."

She giggles and twirls in front of me. "Esme, it's so funny a'cause my name is Awice, and I be Awice in Wonderwand too! That's so funny."

"You're funny, my silly girl." I laugh with her and guide her to the mirror in our bedroom. "What do you think? Do you like your costume?"

When I brainstormed about costume ideas, I knew right away who we'd all be this year. Alice loves Disney movies, including _Alice in Wonderland_, and she approved of the idea right away. It was her idea to dress Carlisle as The Mad Hatter, and after I recovered from my laughter, I completely agreed. Alice wanted me to be The Queen of Hearts but assured me that I wasn't mean or scary at all. I agreed without another thought, willing to do anything for her.

The little blue dress looks adorable on her, and the white tights and black mary janes make her look so much like a little doll. Her large smile is just icing on the cake.

Alice stops jumping as soon as she sees her reflection in the mirror. "Esme, I wook wike Awice!" she says in awe before turning and hugging my legs. I immediately get down on her level so I can pull her in for a hug.

"You like it, baby?" I ask, just to be sure.

She nods quickly and pulls back to look at me. "I wuv it, Esme. Wots and wots. Wuv you."

I move my hands to cup her face and cover her with kisses. "I love you lots and lots, precious. Do you want to go show Carlisle your pretty costume?"

"Yeah, where'd he go?"

I point her to the bathroom where Carlisle is fixing his makeup, and she runs to find him. Carlisle wanted to go all out this year, including a fake nose and makeup. I admire his desire to make Halloween memorable for Alice, so I'm trying not to laugh too much.

As I listen to Carlisle ooh and ahh over Alice's dress, I look myself over one more time in the mirror. The dress is rather wide and cumbersome, but it really is a quality costume. Once I'm satisfied with my appearance, I head to the bathroom and stop in the doorway. With a smile on my face, I watch as Alice helps Carlisle with his top hat and gives him her stamp of approval.

"You wook good, Carwile," she tells him with a nod. "Reawy siwy."

"Really, really silly," I agree, catching his attention. He turns, grinning as he looks me over.

"And you look fabulous, wifey," he says as he walks over and pulls me into his arms. "Good enough to eat, and I think I will…later," he adds in a whisper in my ear before kissing my cheek.

His promise makes me shiver, but before I can respond or retaliate with my own promise, he's back to being G-rated.

"And Allie cat looks absolutely beautimous," he exclaims, turning to swing her into his arms. "We're going to be the best dressed tonight."

Alice agrees and chatters away with Carlisle as he exits the bathroom, but I make sure to slap his ass as he goes. He's not getting away with his teasing without payback.

The festival is just about ready to begin by the time we arrive. The whole community gets involved every year, though it's primarily a school function. All the money raised goes toward supplies for the kids, and I'm looking forward to possibly getting new books. My class this year loves to read.

Carlisle and I take our assigned spots at my classroom door. We're running the fish pond this year, so I stand at the door with a fishing pole while Carlisle is back behind a cardboard cutout with streamers made to look like water. When the kids put the pole into the "pond," he uses the clothespin on the end to attach a little bag of candy. It's usually a big hit, and after a few minutes of continuous visitors, I can tell this year is no different.

Rosalie and Emmett – or Dorothy and Scarecrow as they're dressed tonight – are in charge of the bean bag toss in her room. There's never a dull moment with them right beside us, and Alice can't seem to make up her mind where she wants to be.

When Charlie brings Bella by our booths, I try to convince Alice to go with them. Because of all the people, she won't consider it, but thankfully Charlie isn't offended. Alice is fairly comfortable with him now, but with this crowd, she'll only stay with Carlisle and me or her Aunt Rosie and Uncle Emmett. The fact that she trusts them is a huge step forward.

After an hour, one of the other teachers comes to give us a break so Carlisle and I can take Alice around to visit all the classrooms and booths outside. She hasn't complained about only staying with us, but I know she's curious about all of the other activities.

We have a great time going around to see everyone, and Alice is really good at playing the games – sometimes with Carlisle's help, but mostly all on her own. We receive compliments on our costumes from nearly everyone we pass, along with supportive words and smiles. Carlisle squeezes my hand extra tight whenever it happens, and I can barely contain my happiness. I love being out with my new little family.

By the time we make it back to my room, Alice's candy bag is nearly full to capacity. We let her eat a couple of pieces, but put the rest away for the time being. I'm hoping that out of sight really is out of mind so we won't have to deal with a sugar rush tonight.

When it's Rose and Emmett's turn for a break, Emmett comes directly over to us.

"Dad wants Alice," he says with a grin. "Can I steal her from you?"

I laugh because we just saw Jane and Alistair a few minutes ago. They're selling tickets, dressed in their Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy costumes. It's been obvious from day one how much they love Alice, and apparently they haven't had enough time with her tonight.

I look down at Alice sitting in the floor beside me, but she isn't paying attention to us. She's too busy playing with one of her new little plastic toys.

"Alice," I call, waiting until she looks up at me. "Precious, Papa wants to see you. Do you want to go with Uncle Emmett to find him?"

Her eyes widen as she stands and nods. "Can I go, Esme?"

"Sure, baby. You have fun, okay?"

Emmett holds his arms out, and Alice doesn't hesitate before letting him pick her up and carry her to find her Oma and Papa.

After they leave, Carlisle sticks his head out of the doorway and gives me a contented smile. I know exactly how he feels. Nights like this are my favorite – when Alice gets to enjoy being a kid. Playing games, laughing with friends, spending time with family. It's everything she was lacking before, but something we're able to give her on a daily basis. Knowing we're doing a good job is everything.

We don't see Alice for the rest of the evening until after we finish cleaning up. When we do find her, she's on Alistair's shoulders with a wide smile on her face. A smile that's highlighted by a blue ring.

"Sorry," Alistair says sheepishly to our questioning looks. "Alice didn't know what cotton candy was. She…uh…does now."

"Carwile, it's sooo good," Alice squeals as Carlisle takes her into his arms. "Papa got me the bwue stuff, and I wuv it! And we bounced around, and wook!" She sticks her hand out. A hand that used to be clean. "Oma got me a tattoo of a pumpkin! It's so coowal!"

It's Jane's turn to look sheepish, but I laugh it off as I hug them both. "Really, it's fine," I assure them. "I promise. Alice had a good time, and that's all that matters."

Alice continues telling us all about the bouncy house and everything else she did with her grandparents. And when Rosalie and Emmett find us, she has to tell them too. The whole family is wearing matching smiles as we enjoy her happiness.

Sugar highs will wear off, but hopefully these memories will last forever.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sooo sorry for the lack of review replies and this late update. This is the first time I've been on the computer all day so I wanted to update before doing anything else. **

**Thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading. See you on Monday!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

><p>Halloween passes without a hitch. Trick-or-treating turned into a whole family event, and with the addition of the Swans and the Clearwaters, we had a whole entourage walking from house to house. I'm not sure if the kids or the adults enjoyed it more, but I know for certain that Alice had a great time with Bella and Leah. When she's with her friends, she's just like any other kid, and I love to watch her. They giggle and act silly, just like five year olds should.<p>

Another sugar high couldn't be avoided, although this one was no one's fault, not that I blame Jane and Alistair for the fall festival. They love spoiling Alice, and even though we have to deal with the effects, we don't mind at all. I'm sure she's never had that kind of attention before.

The residual Halloween fun comes to a screeching halt when most of my class and Rosalie's come down with a stomach virus. It's one of the hazards of teaching kindergarten and happens at least twice a year. I can usually escape it with the help of hand sanitizer, but this time, Alice isn't so lucky.

Carlisle and I are up most of the night, me with Alice in the bathroom and him changing sheets and cleaning the carpet. That isn't the worst part though. The worst is sweet Alice. I don't think she's ever been sick like this before, and while we know that she'll be fine in a couple of days at the most, she doesn't understand what's happening. I hate it for her.

"Esme, I don't wanna do it again," she cries. "Pwease no more."

"I know, baby," I soothe as I bathe her. She has a slight fever, so Carlisle suggested a warm bath after her last round of sickness, both to cool her down a little and get her cleaned off. "Let's finish getting clean and then we'll go lie down, okay?"

She nods and rubs her tired eyes. "Kay. But I don't want water. Pwease no water."

"No water," I agree. Carlisle's been trying to keep her hydrated, but her stomach just can't handle it right now. I know he's worried, but it's just making her even more miserable. This last round was brought on by two sips of water.

Once Alice is clean and dried off, I help her into some panties and a t-shirt before carrying her to our bed. Carlisle is waiting, amidst a layer of towels over our sheets and a bucket. I crawl in bed beside him and let Alice curl up against me, covering us lightly with the sheet. Glancing at the clock, I see that it's almost four in the morning.

Carlisle turns the lamp off and wraps us in his arms, giving us both quick forehead kisses. After a few minutes, Alice finally settles and seems to be asleep. I just pray she can stay asleep this time.

"You need to get some sleep too," Carlisle whispers when he realizes that my body is still very tense.

I hum in agreement because I know I need sleep. Emmett called an hour ago to tell us that Rose is sick too, so I have to teach who's left of both of our classes. Getting up in two hours doesn't sound appealing at all, but I have no choice.

"I know. I'm just so worried. She's so scared."

"It'll pass," he gently reminds me, kissing my cheek. "The worst might even be over now, and even if it isn't, I'll be here with her. She'll be okay."

"Just don't give her any water. You'll be her least favorite person."

He chuckles, but it's mostly without humor. "Oh, I learned my lesson. I'll try some Gatorade in the morning, and Emmett's bringing some Zofran. Our girl will be as good as new in no time."

I manage to doze off, but it feels like only minutes later when Carlisle nudges me. Thankfully, Alice is still asleep, making this two hours the longest she's gone all night without getting sick. I hold on to the hope that she won't get sick anymore, but that hope is lost when Carlisle has to rush her to the bathroom as I'm getting ready. It's only dry heaves this time, probably because there's nothing in her poor little stomach, but it scares her even more.

Carlisle carries her and the bucket into the living room as I finish getting ready, and I hate that I can't stay home today too. Carlisle's ability to take care of her isn't something I doubt, but she's been clinging to me since this started. I don't want her to be upset when I have to leave.

Once I'm dressed, I quickly toast a bagel and scarf it down with a glass of juice then go to the living room. Carlisle has the TV on to a random cartoon as he slowly rocks Alice. Her soft whimpers break my heart. I wish there was something we could do to make this better. Being helpless is one of the worst feelings.

I kneel down beside the recliner and run my fingers through her hair. "Precious? I have to go to school now, but you're going to stay here with Carlisle, okay? I love you, baby."

She looks over at me, tears falling from her sad eyes. "Wuv you, Esme. You see Bewa and Weah today?"

I shake my head. "No, baby. They're sick just like you, and I bet they're staying home with their daddies today too."

I realize what I've said almost as soon as I say it, and I immediately look up at Carlisle as I slightly panic. His eyes are as wide as mine feel. We've never referred to ourselves as Mommy or Daddy around Alice because we're not sure how she sees us. We were waiting until we could see a counselor and talk to Charlotte about adoption.

Alice doesn't seem to notice though. She nods and closes her eyes, snuggling back against Carlisle.

I look back and forth between them quickly until Carlisle shrugs. "Just go with it?" he mouths, and I nod, not knowing what else to do. After kissing him and Alice's forehead, I regretfully leave for work.

My head definitely isn't in the game today, but since I only have twelve kids from our classes combined, I don't feel guilty about using most of the day as playtime. The kids can't focus with the upheaval anyway, and I consider it a success that they're not running wild in the school.

The end of the day can't come soon enough, but eventually it's time to send the kids and myself home. I drive home as fast I can without breaking any laws, though I'm a bit afraid of what I'll find. I just want Alice to feel better.

The house is quiet when I walk through the door, and I quickly figure out why. Carlisle and Alice are stretched out in the recliner, both sleeping soundly. The bucket beside them appears to be unused, and there's also a sippy cup half full of Gatorade. I hope this means they've had a good day.

Quietly, I change out of my school clothes and dress in comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt. When I return to the living room, they're still asleep so I make myself comfortable on the couch and change the channel on the TV.

I flip through the channels, not finding anything, but I'm interrupted a few minutes later by Alice crawling into my lap.

"Hey, sweetheart," I whisper, hugging her tightly. "I didn't hear you wake up. How're you feeling?"

"I didn't get sick, Esme," she tells me proudly. "And Unco Emmett bringed me medicine, and I don't wike medicine, but my tummy is better now so it's okay."

"That's wonderful, baby!" I kiss her cheek and forehead, noticing that she's much cooler than this morning. And even though there are dark circles under her eyes and she's still pale, she's smiling now with no more tears. I can tell she really does feel much better.

"So what did you do with Carlisle today?" I ask, and she immediately begins filling me in on everything I missed. It isn't much considering they mostly stayed in the recliner all day and slept in between watching TV, but I'm glad she at least enjoyed what little that they did.

"I needa potty," she announces when she finishes her story, and I send her off with a pat on her bottom. She's taken to telling us that she needs to go to the bathroom now instead of asking, and it's a big step in the right direction. She's finally comfortable enough here to go from room to room without stress or permission.

While Alice is in the bathroom, I go over to the recliner and climb into Carlisle's lap. He stirs right away and wraps his arms around me.

"Mmm…wifey," he mumbles. "You're home already."

"I am," I answer, giving him a kiss. "And you're sleeping."

He shakes his head and forces his eyes open. "Not anymore," he says, but it ends with a yawn. "How was your day?"

I have to yawn too before I can answer. "I only had twelve kids so it was fairly boring. How was your day? Alice seems to be feeling so much better."

He looks beside him, just now noticing that Alice is gone.

"She's in the bathroom," I explain, and he nods.

"Yeah, she hasn't been sick since this morning, and Em brought some Zofran which helped with the nausea. I got some Gatorade in her too and a few crackers. So far so good."

"I'm so glad she's feeling better." I rest my head on his shoulder, and he rubs my back. This whole ordeal has been stressful, but we've survived.

When Alice returns from the bathroom, she crawls into the recliner beside us. We spend the rest of the afternoon cuddling and napping. Eventually, Carlisle and I convince her to eat some applesauce and a few more plain crackers with her Gatorade. Everything stays down with the help of the Zofran, and when Alice realizes she won't be spending the night in the bathroom again, her mood improves even more.

Carlisle and I are right there with her. We're exhausted, and he could probably use a shower, but as long as Alice is happy, we're happy.

Sometimes I feel like we're going through all the firsts that new parents go through. This first illness experience isn't something I was dying to cross off the list, but I'm glad it's over. Now we can focus on all of the positive ones.

And I know exactly which one I want next.

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><p><strong>AN: Zofran is an antiemetic, aka a drug that helps stop nausea and vomiting. Just in case anyone wanted to know. =)**

**Voting is now open for The Wordsmith Awards, where Alice is nominated for Best Alice. **http:/ wordsmithawards. blogspot. com/p/voting. html** If you would like to vote, just remove the spaces and the link should work. **

**Thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading!**

**See you on Wednesday!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>Since the moment I inadvertently called Carlisle "daddy" in front of Alice, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.<p>

I want us to be Alice's parents. I want to be called Mommy, and I want Carlisle to be called Daddy. We're already filling those roles and have been since she came home with us, but I want the acknowledgement – for Alice to know that she'll always have us. That we're her real parents.

In my mind, she didn't have real parents before. Those were monsters who only offered hurt. Carlisle and I love her and want her to have the best of everything. We're real parents.

With Carlisle and I in agreement about adoption, the only thing left to do is talk to Charlotte. We've been meaning to for a while, but life has been getting in the way. Now that Alice is well and we have a couple of weeks before the next holiday extravaganza, it's an opportune time.

Charlotte, however, is one step ahead of us and calls to ask for a meeting as soon as possible. My heart is in my stomach as we drop Alice off to spend the afternoon with Jane, but with Carlisle holding my hand in my lap, I know everything will be okay. It has to be.

After arriving at the correct building, I have a death grip on Carlisle's arm as we walk to Charlotte's office. We're shown in right away and sit in the two chairs in front of her desk. Charlotte is smiling which alleviates some of my anxiety. Smiling has to be good news, right?

"You can relax," she says, a light hint of teasing in her voice. "I guess I should have told you this was good news."

Carlisle snorts. "Uh yeah, that would have been good idea. _As soon as possible _isn't exactly relieving."

"My apologies then." She smiles sheepishly. "This is good news – for you and Alice anyway. I received a call a little while ago, and I now have some information regarding the Brandons that might interest you."

She has my attention now, and I sit forward in preparation for what she has to say.

"From what I understand, the Brandons moved here from Mississippi at the end of summer. They apparently had some problems, and there's an outstanding warrant for drug possession with the intent to traffic. So they fled here, enrolled Alice in school, but they haven't ceased their…unlawful activities. Their account of abuse actually matches up with Alice's reports, though. It was verbal and emotional until they moved, and that's when the physical started. They're also willing to give up custody without a fight."

I frown as I look over at Carlisle. My heart is hurting for my precious girl. Her parents hurt her so much and will even admit to doing it, and now they'll give her away without a fight? Why couldn't they have done that before putting her through so much? They really are monsters.

Carlisle reaches for my hand and squeezes it as he lifts it to his lips, kissing my knuckles softly. "I know," he assures me. "But it's okay now. This is best for everyone."

He's right, so of course I agree. I just hope their custody relinquishment won't hurt Alice. They've definitely hurt her, but they were her parents for five years. She probably has some sort of attachment to them.

The more I think about it though, the more I wonder. Alice has been with us for a month, and she has never once asked for or about her parents. Nothing has ever been mentioned from her old life even when we've assured her that she can tell us anything. So maybe she doesn't have an attachment, but either way, this is the best possible situation.

"So they're willing to sign away their rights eventually?" I ask, just to clarify, but Charlotte shakes her head.

"No. They've _already _signed the papers. The call I received earlier was mostly to let me know that Alice is now a ward of the state and my responsibility. So naturally, I called you right after."

For the first time since we entered the office, I smile, letting the relief flow through me. This happened at the perfect time too – just when we were about to talk to Charlotte about adoption. It can really happen now, and Carlisle makes our intention known right away.

"Charlotte, we want her. Can you make that happen?"

Charlotte laughs loudly, clearly surprised. "Direct, aren't you, Carlisle? But, yes. I can make that happen."

"Good," I say, sighing in relief. "How do we make it happen?"

"Short answer or long answer?"

"Short answer," Carlisle and I say together.

"You sign some papers, wait six months, sign some more papers, then the judge declares that she's yours," she explains. "The long answer includes a few more little things, but you'll be fine. You really are doing a great job with her."

This is better news than I could have anticipated. We're really getting Alice…forever. I'll sign as many forms as I have to for it to happen.

Carlisle and I glance at each other at the same time, wide grins attempting to escape our faces. And there's only one thing left to say.

"Where do we sign?"

…

"Wifey, don't break the seat," Carlisle chuckles.

I've been bouncing since we got back in the car, but I can't seem to stop.

"I'm just so excited," I explain, barely containing a squeal that is dying to break free. "In six months, Alice will legally be our daughter. Can you believe it?"

"I'm trying to," he says as we pull into the elder Cullens' driveway. "I'm really trying to. It's so amazing. C'mere, baby."

He reaches over and pulls me in for a kiss. It's hard and soft and relieved and happy – the kiss is everything we're feeling, and I never want it to end. It's okay when it does, though, because then we can go in to see our favorite girl.

Just as I had expected, Jane has Alice in the kitchen baking cookies together. Jane has been teaching Alice to cook every chance she gets, and Alice loves it. Her time with her Oma is always well-spent.

I don't care that Alice's hands are covered in flour as I pull her into my arms. I just need to hold her.

"Esme," she giggles as I twirl her around. "Esme, you're back! I made cookies with Oma. See?"

I stop twirling and take her over to the table. Sitting in one of the chairs, I take a moment just to look at her. My favorite girl is smiling so wide, and her hands soon find my face as she leans in to give me a kiss. I don't even think about the flour handprints now on my face. She melts my heart time and time again.

"I did see your cookies, precious," I finally answer her. "Do Carlisle and I get to eat them?"

She nods. "Yeah. And Papa gets some when he comes home from work. Where did you and Carwile go?"

I look over at Carlisle, and based on how a teary Jane is nearly cutting off his circulation with the force of her hug, my guess is that he filled her in on our meeting. When he catches my eye, I nod toward Alice, letting him know that it's time to let her in on our news too.

Carlisle untangles himself from his mother and joins us at the table. I turn Alice to face him and gesture for him to begin.

"So, Allie cat, do you remember Miss Charlotte who came to our house before?" She tenses slightly in my lap, making it very clear that she remembers. I kiss the top of her head as Carlisle continues. "Well, Esme and I had to go talk to her, and she told us some awesome news."

"You're staying with us, baby," I finish, not able to help myself. I'm still so excited. "You'll be with us forever and ever. How does that sound?"

She turns to face me. "Miss Charwotte not gonna take me away again? I don't wanna go anywhere"

"And you don't have to," I assure her, running my hand over her dark hair. "She won't take you away because you'll always be with us – Carlisle and me."

As the news sinks in, I watch her face go from questioning to happiness – all in a few seconds. She lights up like the brightest bulb, and I love that we've done that for her. We've made her happy.

"Esme, I wuv you," she squeals, throwing her arms back around my neck. My tears fall uncontrollably because I'm so, so happy.

"What about Carlisle?" I ask.

She immediately turns around and flings herself at him with the same squeal. Jane comes to stand beside me, placing her hands on my shoulders as I struggle to hold in my emotions.

Sure, it won't be official for half of a year, but the specifics can't distract me from this moment. Nothing can distract me from this moment, including Alistair coming in the room and wondering what's wrong. We just include him in the moment. It's for the whole family, after all.

We'll be gaining a member – a very special member none of us could live without at this point.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you all so much for reading, and a special thank you to those of you who have voted for Alice in The Wordsmith Awards. I cannot even tell you how much that means. Voting is open until the 26th.**

**And thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**See you on Friday! **


	24. Chapter 24

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, we have even more to be thankful for. My top edition to the list is definitely Maggie.<p>

Right after the adoption plans were put into motion, Carlisle and I knew we couldn't wait any longer to find a counselor for Alice. We can't _not _explain adoption, but to do so, we need help before broaching the birth parent issue. I didn't want to say the wrong thing or confuse her, and I definitely didn't want to cause any setbacks after all of the happiness.

Carlisle asked around the hospital, and the recommendation for Maggie was very clear. I understand why. So far, she's been great with Alice – always patient and willing to listen without ever pushing her too far.

In just three visits, Maggie has already earned Alice's trust. So much so that Alice is excited about her Thursday afternoon appointment.

"What's the rush, Allie cat?" Carlisle chuckles as Alice drags him toward the door of the building.

"I get to pway with the house today," she explains with a grin. "It's so coowal, Carwisle!"

"I bet it is." He chuckles again. "Is Miss Maggie more fun than I am?" Surprising her, he picks her up into his arms and tickles her tummy. She giggles and squeals as she tried to get him to stop, but he doesn't relent. "What's your answer, baby? Who's the coolest?"

"You're coowal," she manages to get out through her giggles. "You're the coowalwest, Carwile. I wike pwaying with you too."

"Now that's a good answer," he says as he finally stops tickling her. "I love playing with you too. You're my favorite girl."

"You're my favorite Carwile," she responds, kissing his cheek.

I'm melting. I love how Carlisle has started calling Alice his favorite girl like I do. And I love how Alice doesn't show even a hint of fear around us and how she freely shows affection every day. It's wonderful.

"Someone's happy today," Maggie comments as we enter her office. "Care to share?"

"I'm just happy because…" I pause and look over at Carlisle and Alice, heads together as Carlisle tells her to have lots of fun while we're waiting for her. "Because I'm happy." I shrug, not really knowing what else to say.

Maggie nods and winks. "Being happy just because _is _a good feeling. So Alice, are you ready to play with the doll house today?"

Alice nods excitedly, and as soon as Carlisle puts her down, she runs across the room to the large doll house without a second look toward us.

"I'll be there in just a few minutes, okay?" Maggie says to her before turning to us. "Now, you know I can only tell you what Alice wants me to share, but since you're aware of what we'll be bushing on today, I'll let you know as much as I can without breaching privacy. So we'll see you in an hour, okay?"

Carlisle and I nod and say our "see-you-later"s to Alice before going back out to sit in the waiting area.

Today Maggie plans to approach the parents issue with Alice with the help of a doll house and a specific set of dolls. She introduced it on Monday, so now it's time for her to try to get Alice to open up about anything in her past, including her opinion of her birth parents. Then she'll go from there to plant the idea of adoption. We're pretty sure that once Alice has a basic idea of what will be happening, we'll be able to address any of her concerns.

Waiting for the hour to pass isn't the easiest thing to do. The old magazines do nothing to hold my attention, and Carlisle has resorted to conning the TV remote from the receptionist and flipping through the channels. He doesn't find anything to watch, but that doesn't stop him from cycling through the channels five times.

"Entertain me, wifey," he says with a sign as he finally sets the remote down. "We have twenty-five more minutes."

I reach over and lightly scratch the back of his neck. "Hmm…we can talk about my Christmas shopping list."

"But it's only November!" he protests. "Doesn't that kind of thing usually wait till after Thanksgiving or something?"

"If you're willing to face the crowds, sure," I concede. "But I don't want to deal with that. So what do you want to get for Alice?"

My distraction works, and for the next twenty minutes, we brainstorm Christmas ideas – everything from my shopping list to activities. Thinking about baking cookies, opening presents, watching movies, and just being together as a family excites me. I'll do anything to make sure this is the best Christmas Alice has ever had, but it will probably be our best Christmas too. She's added so much to our lives.

When Maggie's door finally opens, I expect a happy little girl to come skipping out to see us as has happened the previous three times. Instead, Alice has watery eyes as she runs over and throws herself into my lap.

I wrap my arms around her and hers go around my neck as she presses her head against me, sniffling softly.

"Oh, baby, it's okay," I soothe. "Shh…it'll be okay." I rock side to side, hoping it will comfort her. I don't know what has happened, but something clearly upset her to the point of tears. Knowing counseling might be emotional is one thing. Actually witnessing how upsetting it is for Alice is completely different and much more painful.

"What happened?" Carlisle asks, reaching over to rub Alice's back.

Maggie smiles sadly and motions for us to follow her. "Everything is fine. Really. I'll fill you in."

I kiss Alice's temple over and over as I carry her back to Maggie's office, and I don't stop as Maggie describes their session.

"I'd definitely say the play therapy is a successful avenue for us to be exploring. And as I showed you Monday, we have dolls, and Alice did a great job assigning parts to all of them."

"Good job, precious," I praise, hoping to have her engaged in the conversation. Instead, she presses herself closer to me, so Maggie continues.

"Today we kept it pretty simple and played with five dolls. Alice, Carlisle, Esme, and two – a male and a female – that we didn't name. The male and female don't live in the house with the others; they're far away, and Alice isn't sad that they aren't near. I asked if it would be okay if they never came to see her again, and that received an extremely positive response."

That doesn't surprise me. Why would anyone want to see the people who abused them for years? Adults might need retribution or justice, but I'd guess a five year old just wants to feel safe and move on.

"But doll Alice does want to stay with doll Carlisle and doll Esme forever. She feels safe with them and very happy."

We both sign in relief, and I give Alice another kiss. She deserves all the happiness in the world, and I know Carlisle is just as relieved as I am that she's getting that with us.

"We also talked about a new word," Maggie says slowly. "We talked about adoption. Alice, do you remember what adoption is?" She nods against me. "Can you tell Carlisle and Esme what adoption is?"

She shifts and lifts her head just enough so she can speak. "Esme be my new mommy and Carwile be my new daddy."

"That's right!" Maggie smiles, winking at us as if she knows something we don't. "And is that something you want?"

"Pwease," Alice whispers as she nods again.

"Oh, Alice," I mumble, choking on a sob. "Oh, sweetheart." I can't finish my sentence, though I want to reassure her. This is just too much.

Carlisle takes over because it's obvious I'm too overcome. "Alice, baby, you never have to ask. We'd love to be your new mommy and daddy. We love you so much."

With only Carlisle's short statement, Alice's body relaxes. The tension rolls off as she completely rests against me. The stress seems to have worn her out, so I hum softly to encourage her to sleep as Maggie goes over a few minor details.

Once we leave Maggie's office, Alice falls asleep in her booster seat, and then it's my turn to break down. Carlisle holds my hand as I cry – not because I'm sad, but because I'm happy.

"She wants to keep us too," I blubber, not caring how I probably look to every car passing us on the road. "She wants us as much as we want her. She really does."

"It feels…indescribable," he agrees, clearly in just as much awe as I am. "I can't believe this is really happening."

"But it is, isn't it? Alice loves us." I cry some more because I'm so happy and relieved.

This revelation may have taken its toll on all of us, but it was worth it to know that we're all on the same page. We want Alice and Alice wants us. There's no greater feeling.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: One last reminder about The Wordsmith Awards - voting closes tomorrow, if anyone feels so inclined to vote for Alice.**

**Lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And lots of thanks to all of you for reading! I hope you all have a great weekend.**

**See you on Monday!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

><p>I watch Alice closely on Friday just in case the counseling session causes any setbacks. She seemed fine yesterday after her nap, laughing and chatting through dinner and playing until bedtime. It was a normal night for us, but after the strong emotions she experienced, I don't think I can be too careful today.<p>

The morning passes without any issues, though. We're getting ready for Thanksgiving and all the projects involved, including the little kindergarten play we do every year. Alice, Bella, and Leah are the pilgrim girls of my class, and I can tell they're excited. Thanks to the books we've been reading, they know all about the pilgrims and Native Americans involved in the first Thanksgiving. Most of the boys in my class are a bit too excited about wearing feathered headbands and making noise, but boys will be boys.

Since it's Friday, Alice and Bella stay back in the classroom while everyone else goes to the crowded gym for recess. They help me organize some of the blocks that weren't put away during playtime, and I read a few books to them, only stopping when they decide to read to me instead. The two of them are my best readers and enjoy it the most out of the whole class. I know the fact that we read to Alice all the time at home – as do Renee and Charlie to Bella – only helps.

When Bella leaves the room to go potty, I pull Alice into my lap.

"Are you having a good day, precious?" I ask, kissing her cheek.

She nods and snuggles closer. "Uh huh. I wike reading with you and Bewa when it's Miss Cuwen time and when it's Esme time."

I chuckle, loving how she works this out in her mind. "Well, I'll be just Esme again soon. Are you excited about tonight?"

A sleepover with Bella and Leah has been planned for weeks now, but after yesterday, Carlisle and I weren't sure what to do. When we talked about it after Alice went to bed, we decided not to change any plans. She deserves the play time with her friends, and since she seems to be fine today, I know we made the right decision.

Alice bounces in my lap as she answers. "I'm so excited! And Carwile said we get pizza. I wuv pizza and so does Bewa and Weah. And we can pway with my coowal toys, right?"

"You sure can," I agree. "And if it's not too cold and wet tomorrow, we'll go to the park. Does that sound good?"

She bounces some more as she nods, and when Bella returns, she's just as excited.

The rest of the day goes by fairly quickly, even with three very excited little girls waiting anxiously for me to announce that it's time to go home. When the time does come, they receive a disappointment when Leah has to go home for a little while before coming over, but I distract them with the promise of a snack and piggy back rides from Carlisle. I'm sure he won't mind being volunteered.

Walking into the house, I realize that promise might have to wait a few hours. Carlisle is nowhere to be found, but right before I start worrying, I remember to check my phone.

"Sorry, girls," I say as I read through a message from Carlisle. Emergency surgery – albeit a short one – that's delaying him. "Carlisle won't be home for another two hours or so, but he'll get the pizza on his way home."

They're disappointed that their piggy back rides will have to wait, but I easily distract them with some juice and goldfish crackers. _Finding Nemo_doesn't hurt anything either.

After I change into more comfortable attire and get Bella's bag situated in Alice's room, I join them on the couch to watch the movie. Sue drops Leah off just as Marlin and Dory make it to Sydney, and the girls watch the end of the movie as we chat.

Sue and Renee have much more confidence in our ability to host a sleepover than I do. I tried to get Renee give me a quick tutorial when we first invited the girls over, but she only laughed at me and said it would be just like a night with Alice with more relaxed rules.

Now that I'm in charge of three little girls for twenty-four hours, the challenge seems much more daunting.

I don't know why I'm so nervous. I keep up with ten kids for seven hours a day without batting an eye, but somehow this is more important. This sleepover is like a challenge for myself – a mommy challenge. And with it being Alice's first sleepover, I want it to be a success for all involved.

The girls sit still through the end of the movie, but then their attention spans seem to disappear. All of the toys in the living room get spread around, not leaving a foot of space unlittered. I want to be bothered by the mess, but it's impossible. Seeing Alice's happy smile and hearing her giggle completely erases any negative feelings, and I sit in the floor and play too.

Through all of our noise, I barely hear a car door close, but when our door opens, I know that Carlisle is home.

"I hear my house is full of beautiful ladies," he calls. "Where are my hugs?"

"Carwile!" Alice squeals as she jumps up from the floor and runs to find him. Bella, Leah, and I follow, and all greet Carlisle with a hug.

"Allie cat and Bellaroo and Leah bear, and Wifey…this is perfect!" he says as he hugs me, holding on to me longer than the girls. I get several kisses too, bordering on inappropriate. His hands gravitate to my ass as well, but with the girls distracted by the delicious smelling pizza, I let him indulge. Who says the weekend fun is only for the kids?

We eat together at the table, scarfing down the pizza but only drinking water. They have enough energy without the added caffeine and sugar. Bedtime can be extended a bit, but I don't want to be up all night.

Carlisle and I spend the rest of the night playing with the girls while more Disney movies play in the background. When I need to rest on the couch, Carlisle takes over and gives out the piggy back rides I promised and does anything else he can think of to wear them out.

Nothing seems to deplete their energy, but at nine forty-five, I force them into pajamas and convince them to lie down. It's almost two hours past all of their bedtimes, plus I really just want some snuggle time with Carlisle. I don't care if they don't fall asleep right away, but we need a break.

After we clean up the majority of the mess, I go to change into my pajamas as Carlisle – fabulous and loving husband that he is – makes us some hot chocolate. As I walk toward our bedroom, quiet talking in Alice's room makes me pause. I stop to listen, just to make sure they're okay, but then I can't seem to move.

"It's so cool that Mrs. Esme Cullen is your mommy now," Bella confesses to Alice. "I want the teacher to be my mommy."

"Me too," Leah agrees. "I told you she was, Allie. When we played at the mall."

"Yeah, but I had another mommy before," Alice says, so softly that I can barely hear her. "But I wuv Esme and Carwile wots more, and they're gonna 'dopt me."

"What's that mean?" Bella asks.

"It means they keep me forever, and Esme's my mommy, and Carwile's my daddy."

"So why don't you call them Mommy and Daddy?" Leah asks. "That's what I call my mommy and daddy."

"They didn't tewel me I could do that."

The longing in her voice kills me, and I cover my mouth to hold in a sob as their conversation switches to princesses. I can't believe it's been that simple all along, but it makes sense. Alice still has her moments of being afraid of making mistakes. Those moments occur less and less as time passes, but calling us mommy and daddy is a big step. A step that she's actually been hoping for right along with us.

I rush to the kitchen, surprising Carlisle as he stirs our hot chocolate. He looks up with a smile that drops as soon as he sees me.

"Carlisle, she wants it," I explain, feeling a tear trail down my cheek. "Alice wants to call us mommy and daddy, but we haven't told her she could do that. We need to tell her."

He moves to wrap his arms around me, kissing the top of my head. "We will," he promises. "After the sleepover, we'll tell her that she can call us whatever she wants. Now, how did you go about this information? Do a little eavesdropping, hmm?"

I snort through a few giggles and nod. "I guess it's good practice for when she's older."

We carry our hot chocolate to the living room and sit together in the recliner as I tell him everything I heard. We try to figure out how to broach the topic tomorrow, but finally decide a direct approach would be best.

By the time we finish our sugary drinks and head to bed, Alice's room is quiet. The relief of knowing that we survived the evening is enough to make sleep come easy. Waking up comes easily as well when three little girls decide to jump on our bed.

Carlisle takes them to help him make breakfast as I freshen up and recover from the shock. Thankfully, the weather cooperates after breakfast and makes our visit to the park a perfect way to spend the late morning.

Sue and Renee come to get Leah and Bella before I have the chance to feed them lunch, and they're both impressed by how well Carlisle and I handled their girls. Both of them can't stop talking about everything they did and how much fun they had. We all seem to have permanent smiles on our faces.

With her friends gone, Alice's mood does seem to dip a bit, but Carlisle and I know how to cheer her up – at least we hope it'll cheer her up.

"Hey, Allie cat. Wanna sit with us outside?" Carlisle asks, lifting her into his arms when she nods.

We sit outside on the gliding loveseat with Alice sitting in the middle of our laps. It's the perfect place for this discussion considering this is where we were sitting when we made the decision to adopt Alice. There's no rain to accompany this conversation, but that's okay. I don't need the rain's soothing this time. We're ready for this.

"Did you have fun last night, sweetheart?" I ask to start off, and she grins and nods.

"Esme, it was so awesome! Can Bewa and Weah come over again?"

"Sure, baby. We'll definitely have more sleepovers in the future. Because you'll be with us in the future. You know that, right?"

"Mmhmm. Maggie said you 'dopting me. Right?"

"That's right," Carlisle confirms. "We're adopting you, and that'll make us your mommy and daddy."

I grab Carlisle's hand, squeezing it for support because I know he set it up perfectly for me to get to the point.

"And you can call us Mommy and Daddy," I say as I lean over to kiss her forehead. "We love you, Alice, and if you want to call us Mommy and Daddy, we'd love it. But if you want to call us Carlisle and Esme forever, we'd love that too."

I really don't need the second statement because as soon as I mention calling us mommy and daddy, Alice sits forward and looks back and forth between us. Her grin is even wider now, so I know we did something right.

"Reawy? I can do that?"

Carlisle pulls her completely into his lap, hugging her tightly. "Baby, you can call us whatever you want, and if Mommy and Daddy make you happy like this, you go for it!"

She giggles, and I can see her nod. When it's my turn for a hug, I don't want to let her go. I can't wait to hear the first mommy, though I'm not sure my heart can take it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry this is so late and for the lack of replies. I'll go back and answer any questions later tonight, but I wanted to get this posted asap.**

**Thanks to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty and to anhanninen for prereading. **

**And thanks to all of you for reading!**

**See you on Wednesday!**


	26. Chapter 26

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

><p>My heart manages to survive the first "Mommy," and all the rest after. Alice doesn't wait a minute before trying out our new names. Sometimes she calls us just because she can, and whenever we go to her, we're rewarded with the biggest smiles and hugs.<p>

After meeting with Maggie again, we've been talking to Alice more openly about adoption. I picked up a few books at the bookstore that looked like they would help, and so far, Alice loves them. Her favorite is about a little bird looking for someone to take care of him, and in the end, he finds a great family. The connection isn't lost on me and Carlisle.

Our home seems much calmer now, somehow more secure. It's as if calling us Mommy and Daddy and knowing the adoption plan has made this more real for Alice. We're accountable now because this has to be more than an empty promise.

The traces of doubt are disappearing little by little, and I'm confident that someday – much sooner than we ever thought possible – Alice's scars will completely heal. The bruises on her body healed weeks ago, but her heart and mind will take time – time we're willing to wait because it will be worth it.

And it's not as if we have nothing to fill our time as Alice grows and heals. In fact, we have too much to do.

Thanksgiving preparations take over our lives. Jane usually does most of the cooking while Rosalie and I always bring a vegetable each and split the desserts. This year is no exception. The biggest difference is that we'll have to set the table for seven instead of six and what that extra spot means for our family.

Rosalie and I also stress about the kindergarten play, as we do every year. As always, it goes off without any problems. The kids are adorable and muddle through their songs and lines as well as we could expect. All of the parents love it, and for once, I'm one of them. I never knew how different things could be from the eyes of a parent, but the pride is nearly overwhelming. My daughter is pilgrim girl number two, and she is the best pilgrim girl number two I've ever seen. Carlisle agrees, of course, and we make sure to tell Alice exactly how we feel.

After surviving the play, we have three days off from school. The first day is utilized as a shopping day. I've already done most of our shopping online, but there are some things we have to go to a store to get, as much as Carlisle hates it.

"We get to shop for toys, right?" he asks as he parks the car in the parking spot.

I turn and give him a pointed look. "For you or Alice?"

"Both. You know I hate these crowds," he grumbles. "There needs to be something to make it worth it."

"Just be glad I'm making you go today instead of Friday," I remind him. "Now _those_are crowds. We can do this, but we need a plan. How about Alice comes with me first while you get what you need, and then we can switch. Sound good?"

He nods and smartly doesn't complain anymore. I don't think he's dreading this trip like he says he does, though. I know he's excited about possibly getting a couple more things for Alice and having her pick out stuff for us.

Once I help Alice out of the car, we kiss Carlisle goodbye, and I take her hand as we walk into the mall. The crowds are fairly substantial, making Alice nervous, so she winds up in my arms before we make it to the first store.

"So what do you think we should get for Daddy for Christmas?" I ask, hoping to distract her. "What about these shirts…do you think he needs a shirt?"

She looks to the shirts I'm pointing out and smiles. "Yeah, Mommy. He wikes shirts wike that. Can we get it?"

The "#1 Super Dad" t-shirt is only fifteen dollars, so I agree right away.

With Alice's focus shifted away from the crowd, we enjoy our shopping. I find a few gifts for people I was missing and point out some for Alice to get the rest of the family. She also manages to find a puzzle in a specialty shop that can be personalized with a picture and any kind of text.

"That is so perfect, precious," I say, loudly kissing her cheek. "Great job."

She giggles and then smiles her biggest smile for the man at the store to take her picture. I can't' wait to see how the puzzle turns out and to see Carlisle's face when he opens his gift.

We meet up with Carlisle at the food court, and after eating a quick lunch, he takes Alice to finish their shopping. There's not much else that I need, so I find a bench to wait for them. Unsurprisingly, they return less than an hour later, claiming their shopping is complete and that they've picked out the best gifts ever for me. I don't dispute their claims because if the gifts are anything like the ones we picked out for Carlisle, I'm sure I'll love them.

…

Thanksgiving starts bright and early for me, but once I have some coffee, I'm good to go. My vegetable this year is green bean casserole which doesn't take long to prepare, but the pies do take a while to bake. Carlisle helps me after he wakes up, giving me a chance to shower and get dressed.

The Cullens don't do any holiday halfway, making the extra time to do my hair and makeup necessary. The Cullens also love pictures, and I'd like to look presentable. Alice even has a special dress for the day, complete with a turkey on the front and a matching hair bow.

"Mommy, I wuv this dress," she tells me as I help her fasten her shoes. "It's so cute!"

I laugh and give her a kiss. "I'm so glad you like it, baby. Aunt Rosie helped me pick it out."

"I need to tewel her too. Can we weave now?"

"Soon. We're waiting on the food. Go ask if it's ready."

"Okay," she says, nodding as she runs out of the room. "Daaadddddy, is the food done?"

"Aaaaliiice," he calls right back, and I laugh again at their antics.

Alice's impatience continues until twenty minutes later when we're loaded in the car with all of our food. Jane is waiting in the driveway when we pull in, and doesn't waste any time before unbuckling Alice and grabbing her in a big hug.

"Oma, see my pretty dress?" Alice asks. "I have to find Aunt Rosie a'cause she helped Mommy pick it out."

"It's a beautiful dress, dear heart," Jane agrees. "You look so pretty. And your Aunt Rose is inside. Let's go find her."

"Nice to see you too, Mom," Carlisle mumbles as we get out of the car and grab the pies and casserole. "I've only been your son for nearly twenty seven years."

"Maybe that's why," I suggest, bumping his shoulder playfully. "She's had you for a long time."

"Wifey," he gasps in shock. "You're taking her side? And I thought you loved me."

"I do love you, babe." I stop in the doorway and turn to kiss him. "But your mother is feeding me lunch today so I have to be on her good side."

He growls and lunges for me, and I squeal as I rush inside. He chases me all the way to the kitchen, and I think Rosalie shoos him out before he has a chance to get revenge. But when I turn my back, I feel the pinch, right where my leg meets my ass.

"Pay back," he whispers in my ear, kissing my cheek as he goes to find Emmett and his dad.

Rosalie rolls her eyes at us, but she and Emmett are just as naughty, if not more, on a regular basis. She understands even if she likes to act like she doesn't.

When we get the table set, we round everyone up. Alice sits between Carlisle and me, right where we want her, but we have some complainers – Emmett being the number one. After we're all full from the delicious meal, we let Alice get up to go sit in Emmett's lap. Alice eats up the attention, and by the time dessert is over, she has been in every lap and sampled every plate.

Before we can clear the table and go watch football, Alistair stops us.

"Why don't we all say what we're thankful for?" he suggests, and we all agree. "Okay, I'll start. I'm thankful for my beautiful wife and daughters-in-law and the lovely meal they prepared, for my two great sons who always make me proud, and my wonderful new granddaughter."

"Aww, Dad, you're gonna make me cry," Emmett says, sniffling dramatically which makes us all laugh. "I'll go next. I'm thankful for Rosie, Mom, Dad, Carlisle, Esme, Alice – my favorite cheerleader, and this awesome food. And football. You go, Rosie."

Rosalie's and Jane's thanks follow the same line with the addition of jobs and roofs over our heads, but then it's down to me and Carlisle.

"I think we'll say ours together." I turn to Carlisle to make sure it's okay with him, and he nods as he places a kiss on Alice's head. "We're thankful for our whole family and how supportive you've been, especially the last few months. We're thankful for our friends too for the same reasons. Our jobs, our home, this wonderful meal."

Carlisle takes over for me. "But the thing – or person – we're most thankful for is Alice. I never could have imagined being this happy, but Alice has done that. Allie cat is the best daughter ever."

"We love you so much, precious," I say, trying not to cry as I pull her into my lap and give her kisses. Carlisle joins in, and I'm so grateful when his kisses turn to raspberries and we all start laughing. I really don't want to cry on such a happy day.

"Your turn," Carlisle tells her as she calms and settles in my lap. "What are you thankful for, Miss Alice?"

"Mmm…Oma and Papa and Unco Emmett and Aunt Rosie and Mommy and Daddy," she says with a smile, and everyone nods in approval. "Oh, and pumpkin pie!"

Carlisle puts his hands out for her to give him a high five. "That's my girl!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Any mistakes noted are more than likely the fault of this website. I'm not one to be easily angered, but angry is definitely what I am right now. I doubt there's a reason for FFn to remove any of my fics, but if something does happens, I'll put a note on my profile about a back-up plan. **

**And with that out of the way, lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading!**

**See you on Friday! **


	27. Chapter 27

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them. **

* * *

><p>"Tewel me again," Alice requests.<p>

"Again already?"

She nods quickly. "Yeah, Mommy, again pwease."

I pull her up into my lap and place my forehead against hers, smiling at her suddenly serious expression. "Six days," I say slowly. "Can you show me on your fingers?" I sit back slightly so she can put her hands out between us, and she correctly holds up six fingers. "Good job, precious. Now, do you think you can last that long?"

She giggles, shaking her head back and forth. "No, Mommy. That's so far away. Christmas needs to be now."

"Now? But then we wouldn't be at school today, and we couldn't have a fun party. Would you want to miss that?" She shakes her head once more. "That's what I thought. So you go sit at your desk and wait for Bella and Leah, okay?"

"Kay, Mom…Miss Cuwen."

I give her a wink before helping her down from my lap. As she goes to sit at her desk, I wait by the door for any parents who may be coming. Today's the last day of school before winter break, making it the day of our class party. Some of the parents are bringing food, and they're allowed to stay since we're having a half day anyway.

As the parents and kids arrive, I greet them and direct them to the table I have set up for the food. Carlisle, Charlie, Renee, and Bella are the last to arrive since they all rode together so we wouldn't have two cars to deal with this afternoon.

Having Carlisle here – experiencing this as a parent with him – is the best feeling, even better than the Thanksgiving play. Alice attaches herself to him, showing him off to the whole class. I can tell Carlisle absolutely loves it. He loves being Alice's daddy.

Throughout the morning, the parents make their way around the classroom, looking at all of our drawings and projects we've worked on so far this year. I encourage them to take home any and all of them, saving me a good bit of cleanup. Carlisle, of course, grabs everything he can find with Alice's name on it and makes a pile on my desk.

Knowing him, our kitchen walls will soon be decorated since the refrigerator is already overflowing with artwork. And I'll be right there helping him. We're so proud of Alice for dealing with what she has but coming out on top. She's so smart and adjusting to environment as if she doesn't have a past full of hurt and pain. I don't think anything could keep her down at this point.

The party begins to wind down, and after I convince my students to sing a winter song for the parents, I tell them they can leave. Technically it isn't time yet, but I know they want to enjoy the holiday time off as much as I do.

As Alice hugs her friends goodbye, Carlisle comes to stand behind me and wraps his arms around me.

"I love this," he says softly, kissing my temple. "Did you hear her?"

I lean back against him as I nod. "I did. Alice loves you so much, and she's so happy to have you for a daddy. She had to show you off."

"And I was popular with the kids too. How did I get so awesome?"

"It definitely wasn't your humility," I say dryly but can't keep a straight face for long. Turning my head, I kiss his cheek and smile up at him. "You really are awesome, though. I love you."

His wide grin softens to a sweet smile. "I love you too, Esme. Can I show you tonight?"

"Definitely because I just remembered that Rosalie and Emmett want to keep Alice tonight. So we can get our presents wrapped…and other things."

"Hmm…other things, huh?" he ponders. "I think we'll have some fun with the gift wrap."

I shiver in anticipation. Merry Christmas to me.

…

Once all of the parents and kids clear out, Carlisle and I clean up as quickly as we can. We finish in record time, even with Heidi coming by to give her holiday well wishes. She's been much nicer now that she's seen how the community supports us; she knows better than to try to fight a battle she will surely lose. After making sure my classroom is ready for the new year, we lock up and take Alice to drop her off with Rosalie.

It's her first overnight trip, and though I'm worried about her being gone for so long, her current excitement overrides my worry. If she's ready for this, we have to let her go.

"We'll call if we have any trouble," Rose promises. "Anything else we need to know?"

I look to Carlisle, but he just shrugs. A lot of help he is.

"Not that I can think of," I say slowly. "Oh, but if you help her get dressed, don't be offended if she guards herself." Rose's eyes get wide, but I quickly shake my head. "No, it's reflexive at this point. She's not afraid of you. Promise."

"Thank goodness," she sighs. "I was worried. Okay, so don't be offended. And I know she usually goes to bed before eight but it's okay if we go a little later. Anything else?"

"A nightlight," Carlisle adds. "She likes having a nightlight when she sleeps alone."

Rosalie laughs. "Oh, that won't be a problem. Emmett's decided to move a mattress to the living room so we can camp out and watch movies. She'll be with us all night."

Alice hears the last part and runs over. "Aunt Rosie, we're camping tonight? That sounds so coowal!"

"Oh, it will be," Rose says as she picks her up. "We'll have so much fun. Now give Mommy and Daddy kisses so we can get the fun started."

Saying goodbye isn't difficult at all, and I'm very relieved. I wouldn't be able to leave her if she shows even the smallest bit of doubt. Since she's excited, I'm excited for her. We already have to deal with her growing up, and it's as bittersweet as I heard it would be.

…

"The house is so quiet," Carlisle murmurs as we walk through the door. "This is…weird."

"Very weird," I agree. "But…_we _don't have to be quiet now."

A smile spreads across Carlisle's face. "You're very right, wifey. So where should we be loud first? The bed? The hallway? The couch?" He steps closer as if he's stalking me like prey, but I'm the one to close the distance and throw my arms around his neck.

"Bed first, please," I request. "We have all night for everything else."

"Good point," he says as he lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist.

Chest to chest and lips to lips, we make our way to the bedroom, somehow not running into any walls or falling down.

Without another word, we shed our clothes and crawl under the covers. Carlisle continues crawling under the covers, lower and lower until he's _there_. He teases – nibbling, sucking, licking, stroking – until I'm screaming. I scream his name like it's the only one I know, and at this moment it is.

"Beautiful," he says reverently as he kisses his way back up and out of the covers. "You are so beautiful, Esme. I love hearing you."

I run my fingers through his hair as I catch my breath and remember how to control my limbs. "Thank you," I finally manage to say. "I love you. Now, get in me."

He chuckles and tips his head toward me. "As you wish, wifey. As you wish."

Wasting no time, he's there – just as I requested. We move fast and hard and slow and loving. Always loving. And loud too. Always loud. We moan and yell and curse, making sure the other knows exactly how much we're enjoying this.

With Alice in the house every night, we've learned to be quiet. It's added a new and fun challenge to our nightly romps, but we've missed loud. Today's the day to make up for it, and make up for it we do.

Round one ends with both of us exhausted, but oh so satisfied. We tackle round two after a much needed nap, and eventually, I convince Carlisle to leave the bed to take a shower – a very naughty shower.

We talk too – about everything. Because we've been so busy lately it's been awhile since the last time it was just the two of us during the day, making the reconnecting very important. We haven't lost any of the spark between us, but sometimes it's nice to see how big we can make the fire. I love that even after adding Alice to our family, we're still a wildfire – burning strong with no sign of ever going out.

After a quick dinner, Carlisle helps me wrap all of the presents. We manage to get everything under the tree, but not before round three – in which Carlisle unwraps me like a present, bow and all.

We're so loved up by the time we make it to bed that falling asleep isn't an issue. I do remember to check my phone before I succumb, but I have no new messages since we called to tell Alice goodnight.

It's definitely a good night for all of us.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Next week will be the last regular week of posting. I'm a little sad about it, but there will definitely be outtakes in the future. **

**Thank you all so much for continuing to read and leave such lovely reviews. I truly enjoy reading them.**

**And thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading. **

**See you on Monday!**


	28. Chapter 28

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

* * *

><p>A ringing phone wakes me, but I'm too disoriented at first to answer it. I open my eyes to look for my phone, and the light in the room makes it obvious that it's morning. Carlisle waking me in the middle of the night for round four seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'm confused.<p>

As soon as I find my phone and see Rosalie's name on the screen, I'm very much alert, awake, and worried as I answer.

A soft little voice greets me. "Hi, Mommy."

I can't help but smile. "Hey, precious. Are you having a good morning?"

"Mmhmm. But can I come home now? I miss you."

"Of course, baby. Daddy and I will be there soon, okay?" My answer is immediate as I jump out of bed and rush to find clothes to put on. "Can you have a few more minutes of fun with Aunt Rosie and Uncle Emmett while you wait for us?"

"I can do that," she agrees. "Unco Emmett is making me some breakfast right now."

"That's great! You go eat, and we'll see you soon, okay? Love you."

"Wuv you," she responds right before ending our call.

I take a deep breath before continuing my search for clothes. Now that I think about the call, I realize that Alice doesn't sound upset. She probably just woke up early and missed us. Knowing she's not panicking makes it easier for me to focus and find everything I need.

Carlisle's reaction is similar to my initial one once I wake him, but after a few minutes, we're both calm enough to get dressed and head to Rosalie and Emmett's house.

Rosalie answers the door when we arrive and pulls me in for a hug. "She was fine until this morning and has been fine since she called you," she informs us. "Why didn't you tell me that kids like to wake up before six in the morning?"

Carlisle chuckles as she hugs him next. "Because our kid doesn't usually wake up until at least seven. It's just your lucky day."

"Very funny," she says, rolling her eyes.

"So everything's been okay?" I ask as we make our way to the kitchen.

"Perfectly fine. We had a lot of fun, and she was never scared until this morning. I guess since we had her most of yesterday, huh?"

"Probably so," I agree. "She's never been away from us for this long."

In the kitchen, we find Emmett making his version of a breakfast sandwich – bacon, scrambled eggs, and shredded cheese smashed between two pieces of buttered toast. It must be a Cullen tradition because Carlisle loves to make the same breakfast – only he eats his with ketchup which only serves to make me gag. At least Emmett doesn't have the ketchup out.

Alice is happily sitting on the counter beside him, swinging her legs as she eats half of a sandwich.

"Unco Emmett, I wuv bacon!" she exclaims, mid bite. "This is yummy."

He laughs and gives her a high five. "Of course you love bacon! You _are _my favorite niece."

"She's your only niece," I point out and smile as Alice's realizes that we're here. She stops chewing and puts the rest of her sandwich down, eyes widening as she reaches for us.

Carlisle makes the first move, going over to the counter and taking her into his arms. "Allie cat, I missed you! Did you save me some bacon?"

She manages to swallow her mouthful before she gives him a kiss and hugs his neck tightly. "Daddy, you're here! I missed you wots. You can have some of my bacon, okay?"

"That sounds perfect. Did you save some for Mommy too?"

I hold out my arms for her, and she comes right to me, giving me the same welcome as Carlisle. "I missed you, baby," I say, kissing her cheek. "You have to tell me about all the fun you had."

As Emmett finishes making enough breakfast to include everyone, we sit together at the table so Alice can tell us all about her night away from home. From all of their stories, I can tell that Emmett and Rosalie did a great job with Alice, not that I had any doubt that they would. I do know how nerve wracking it is to host a first sleepover though, so I give them as much praise as I can. Alice is happy and uninjured, and that's a really great outcome.

Rosalie and Emmett will make great parents one day, and I tell her as much. I'm not sure how long they're waiting to start expanding their family, but based on the look on her face, I don't think it'll be much longer. The whole family has changed in all the best ways thanks to Alice. Our eyes have been opened to so many possibilities.

Alice doesn't stop talking about her trip to her aunt and uncle's house for the rest of the day and part of the next. Even with the short moment of fear right after waking, she only has good things to say and can't wait to do it again. I know Jane and Alistair are dying to get their hands on her next. It's a good thing that we have two and a half weeks of winter break.

…

With the final Christmas preparations in full-swing, we barely have a chance to breathe over the next few days.

Alice helps me and Carlisle wrap the presents she got for us and place them under the tree with all of hers. We decided not to do the whole Santa thing, both because we don't think Alice would have many years left to believe anyway and because we want her to know that the gifts are from us and the rest of the family.

Through what Alice has told Maggie and us, we know that her birth parents did give her a present or two every year. It wasn't much, but considering they were usually too focused on the drugs to do anything nice for her, it was a memorable gesture. So even though Alice knows that Christmas is a special day, we want her to _really _know it. To know that she is so precious to us and deserves every gift she'll be receiving. There's no such thing as spoiling when it comes to her.

But since Alice knows that most of the gifts under the tree will be going to her, it takes an effort to distract her – and Carlisle – from shaking all of the boxes. With the help of cookie baking, gingerbread house making, and Christmas movies, we succeed up until Christmas Eve.

"Please, wifey," Carlisle begs. "Just one. We'll be good. Look at this face." He bounces Alice in his arms as she perfects the pout and puppy dog eyes that he's been teaching her. I'd kill the man if I didn't love him more than anything.

"Okay," I relent, sighing. "We can all open one gift. Just one."

Alice leans over, puckering her lips for a kiss which I have to indulge. "Thank you, Mommy. I wuv you wots."

Who could resist that?

I convince the two of them that we need to change into our pajamas first, and after grabbing some hot chocolate and a plate of cookies, we settle in the living room floor.

Alice helps me pick the gift Carlisle will open and then does the same with him for me. I know which one I want Alice to open, but Carlisle has another one in mind for her to also open. He kisses me senseless to get his way, not that I really mind.

"Who first?" Carlisle asks.

"How about Alice goes first with one of hers," I suggest. "Then you and me followed by Alice again."

"Perfect," he exclaims and nods to Alice. "Go ahead, Allie cat. Open your first one."

Cautiously and with a big grin, she begins tearing off the paper of the gift I picked out for tonight. Once the paper is off, I help her open the small box and take out the little locket.

"It's a necklace," I explain, helping her open the heart shape. "And inside, there's a picture of you, me, and Daddy. You're always in our hearts, and now you'll have us in this little heart too. Do you like it, precious?"

"Mommy, it's so pretty," she says in awe. "Thank you, thank you! I wuv it! Can I wear it now?"

"Sure, baby. Let me help you." With tears in my eyes, I help her put on the necklace. Sometimes I just can't handle how much I love this little girl.

Once it's secure, she scoots over to show Carlisle, and he gives her a big hug.

"It's beautiful, baby," he agrees, and I can see that his eyes are shining a little too.

It's my turn next, and the waterworks really start when I unwrap one of the gifts Alice must have picked out for me. I've received a necklace too – a white gold mother's embrace pendant, complete with Alice's little amethyst birthstone. She crawls into my lap, and I hug her like I never want to let go because the gift is perfect, but she's the best present I've ever received.

By the time Carlisle opens his gift – the puzzle Alice picked out for him with her picture and "I love you, Daddy" across the top– I've already found a box of tissues. Both of us need it. I'm very grateful we've already had the discussion with Alice about happy tears versus sad tears because I can't stop them at this point. My heart is overflowing.

I understand why Carlisle wanted Alice to open another present. When she opens the box of her new life-size baby doll, her face is priceless – ending our night on a tear-free note as we laugh at her shock. Needless to say, she loves the doll and doesn't want to stop hugging and kissing us in thanks, even as we tuck her in for the night.

For the first time in a long time, I can't fall asleep on Christmas Eve. The anticipation is too high. I want Alice to have a great day, hopefully the best Christmas she's ever had, but I probably don't have anything to worry about.

If tonight was any clue, we'll all be having the best Christmas.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you to all of you who suggested outtakes. I can't promise I'll be able to write all of them, but I'll definitely try. Feel free to continue making suggestions of anything you might want to see.**

**Lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And of course, thanks to all of you for reading!**

**See you on Wednesday! **


	29. Chapter 29

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>I toss and turn for a while until Carlisle decides to give me another early Christmas gift. It does the trick and completely sated, I fall asleep against his chest.<p>

In what feels like only minutes later, I'm wakened by a little body wedging itself in between me and Carlisle. Grateful we remembered to put our pajamas back on after exchanging…gifts, I slowly open my eyes. I smile as I'm met with the bright blue eyes of my favorite girl.

"Hi, Mommy," she whispers. "It's Christmas. No days weft!"

"You're very right. Merry Christmas, baby." I shift over slightly so she can snuggle against me, which she does with a happy sigh.

I glance at the clock and wince as I see that it's barely five thirty. Apparently Miss Alice couldn't sleep either. But since she seems content to lie here as I run my fingers through her hair, I don't bother moving.

The repetitive motion is soothing, even to me, and I almost fall back to sleep. Alice isn't having it, though, and nudges me until I open my eyes again.

"Mommy, when do we open presents and go to Oma's house?"

I chuckle softly. "Soon, precious. The sun isn't even awake yet, and Daddy isn't either."

"I can do that," she says as she rolls over and nudges Carlisle before I can stop her. "Daddy, wake up, wake up."

I put my hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter as Carlisle groans and rolls toward Alice.

"Allie cat," he says, voice rough and unintentionally sexy. "Why are you awake this early?"

"It's Christmas, Daddy," she says, as if it explains everything.

"Christmas, huh? I think it'll still be Christmas in a few hours. Let's go back to sleep."

I think he does just that because Alice turns back to me, brows furrowed in confusion. I stop laughing immediately. It may be early, but it's her first Christmas with us so I understand her excitement. Any kid would be excited today, but especially Alice. She doesn't deserve to be confused by her Daddy's lack of excitement.

Sitting up, I pull Alice into my lap and nudge Carlisle's leg with my foot. "Babe, wake up. Let's go open presents with Alice."

He mumbles something unintelligible but doesn't open his eyes.

Alice tilts her head back to look up at me, and I shrug. "Wanna tickle him?" I suggest, and my idea puts the smile back on her face. She crawls over to his other side, and we attack. Soon, Carlisle has no choice but to wake up as he attempts to get away from us. We're a heap of laughter and giggles by the time Alice and I finish our assault, but it does the trick and gets Carlisle out of bed.

Carlisle and I each take a turn in the bathroom before letting Alice drag us downstairs and into the living room. I sit back and watch as the two of them sort our presents into piles, laughing at Alice's disbelief at how big her pile is.

"They're all for you, precious," I assure her. "Which one are you going to open first?"

She looks over her pile, but it takes her a few seconds to make a decision. When she finally does, she digs right in, tearing paper and squealing in delight.

Carlisle captures it all on film, from the new clothes and movies to the Barbie dolls and baby doll accessories. By the time she's finished, our floor looks like we robbed a toy store. Alice's constant smile and the dozens of hugs we receive make everything worth it. Her happiness is priceless.

While Alice plays with her new toys, Carlisle and I exchange gifts a bit quieter – thanking each other with slow kisses and soft words. The remote control transforming car I give him earns me a boob grope as well, but we manage to keep the volume down somehow. At least until we find our other gifts from Alice. We thank her with raspberries and tight hugs, wanting her to know exactly how much her love means to us. It's everything, really.

And I know Carlisle will wear his t-shirt from her with pride, and I will as well. Alice seems to have very particular taste when it comes to us, but at least my "Super Mommy" shirt will coordinate with Carlisle's super dad one. We'll be the coolest parents in Forks for sure.

I leave Alice and Carlisle to play with her new toys as I make breakfast, and after we all eat our fill of French toast, we dress in our Christmas best. Carlisle and I usually coordinate for the family Christmas photo, but this year is even better with the addition of Alice. My red dress and Carlisle's green shirt are perfectly brought together in Alice's fun little white dress with a Christmas tree in the center. The bottom is trimmed with red polka dot ribbon, and the tights that go with it have green stripes. It's crazy and fun, and Alice can't wait to have her picture made in it.

Luckily for Alice, Jane wants to take the picture right away and lines us all up almost as soon as we walk in the door. We all indulge her with limited grumbling, though none of us are really complaining. Our smiles are probably embarrassingly wide.

"Should we exchange gifts before lunch?" Jane asks, receiving a responding "yes" from her sons and granddaughter before she even finishes her question.

Rosalie shakes her head and links our arms as we follow them. "Our husbands are children," she points out.

"They are," I agree. "But they're such loveable children, aren't they?"

She nods and giggles. "They are. I don't think Christmas would be the same without their enthusiasm."

I agree with that too. With Alice added to the mix, enthusiasm is at an all time high.

Just as I expect, Alice's gift pile here is as big as it was at home. Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett's gift of a doll house seems to be at the top of the favorites list, but the books from Oma and Papa are close second – until Alistair calls Alice over to sit in his lap.

"We have one more gift, sweetheart," he says as he hands her a small, flat box. "This is from all of us."

I bite my lip and squeeze Carlisle's hand in mine, hoping Alice likes it. A passing comment from Emmett one day turned into a family plan to give Alice something we all wished we had as kids. Something I didn't even realize was manufactured.

Alice grins at her Papa then tears into the paper. After taking the lid off, I know she's surprised to find a simple piece of paper. But what's on the picture does matter.

"See this, Alice?" Emmett says as he points to the colorful picture. "This is your new playset. It has three swings, a slide, and a play house at the top. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Whoa." Her eyes widen as she takes in the picture. "This is for me, Papa? I get to pway with this?"

"Just for you," Alistair promises with a kiss on her cheek. "Uncle Emmett, Daddy, and I will build it for you in your backyard, and you can play as much as you want."

"That's so coowal!" she squeals, turning to give him a hug. After hugging her Papa, she goes around the room to hug everyone else, ending with me.

"So you like it, precious?" I ask as she gives me a kiss.

She nods, not moving her arms from around my neck. "I reawy wuv this, Mommy. Can Bewa and Weah pway with me too?"

"Of course they can. We'll have to wait until it gets warmer, but then you all can play as much as you want."

"This is the best Christmas," she tells me before running off toward the dining room where everyone else has gathered except Carlisle.

"No tears over lunch," he teases me, helping me stand. "I forgot the tissues."

I sniffle as I wrap my arms around his waist for a quick hug. "That's a bit of a husband fail, I think. You'll have to make it up to me."

He laughs and kisses the top of my head. "I think I can handle that." I have no doubt that he can.

Lunch is perfect. Delicious food, funny stories, happy family – just perfect. We somehow manage to have more food today than on Thanksgiving, and we all wait to eat dessert, opting instead to watch a rerun of the Christmas parade and some football to appease Emmett.

In the middle of Emmett, Carlisle, and Alistair yelling at the TV, Jane whisks Alice back to one of the bedrooms. I'm immediately suspicious, but when I look at Rosalie, she seems to be clueless as well.

A few minutes later, Jane returns without Alice and mutes the TV, raising her hand to silence any on-coming protests.

"I had one more gift," she informs us. "It's for Alice, but really, I think it's for all of us too. We're getting the better end of this deal, after all."

Her eyes glisten as she sniffles, and now I'm really confused. I scoot closer to Carlisle, and he wraps his arms around me. Rosalie and Emmett do the same. Whatever this is, it's probably big.

"Come on out, dear heart," Jane calls. "Come show everyone your pretty dress."

Alice skips into the room, stopping in front of Jane but her eyes find mine. "Mommy, wook at my bwue dress from Oma. It has my wetters on it, see?" She points up to the monogram on the white bib collar of the navy blue dress. The M and the A are expected, but instead of a large B, a different letter is centered.

C for Cullen. Mary Alice Cullen.

I feel my lip quiver as tears escape my eyes, and I motion for Alice to come to me. She runs over and jumps into my lap, and I hold her as close as I can.

"Good tears," I manage to mumble to her through my crying. "The best tears, baby. Oh, I love you so much. So, so much. I'm so happy you're here with us."

Carlisle picks me up, placing both of us in his lap as he kisses us repeatedly. I feel his tears fall in my hair, and I love that neither of us is trying to contain this love, this joy that comes from Alice being ours. It's so amazing.

We eventually compose ourselves, and Rosalie passes us a box of tissues. It's very obvious that everyone in the room has been affected because there is not an eye free of a red rim. Alice seems to know how special this is too and refuses to leave her spot on mine and Carlisle's laps, not that we want her to move.

We sit together for a while until Emmett has to turn the volume up on the game. It breaks the spell and gives us the opportunity to have some dessert. Alice goes for the pumpkin pie again, and it's apparently so good that it puts her to sleep. I start to wonder what Rosalie put in the pie when everyone else decides to doze off too, leaving Carlisle and me the only ones awake.

Carlisle stands from his spot on the couch and pulls on my hand, silently asking for me to follow him. I do without a second thought. He leads us to the back deck, and even though it's cold, I'd never pass up an opportunity to sit on the porch swing.

I snuggle in next to my husband and use the time to reflect. The day has been overwhelming in the best ways, definitely surpassing what I hoped Christmas would be.

"Mom told me something while you were fixing dessert plates," Carlisle says, breaking our silence.

"What was that?" I question, rolling my head back so I can see his face.

"Alice asked her. About being a Cullen," he clarifies after seeing my confused expression. "Mom asked her what she wanted for Christmas, and that's what she said. Not toys or movies or books. She wants to be a Cullen like her mommy and daddy."

Tears fill my eyes once more as I blink, letting them overflow. "She's so special," I whisper.

He nods. "And she's ours."

After sharing yet another slow kiss, we return to silence and to our thoughts. It's almost hard to believe that just three months ago, a shy little girl walked into my classroom. She wouldn't even speak more than two words to me and everything she did was with the highest level of caution.

I tuck that same little girl in her bed every night and cuddle with her every morning. She talks my ear off at every opportunity and is full of so much joyful energy.

She's made our lives so much fuller, and I know no one in our family would trade her for the world.

In four months, Mary Alice Brandon will officially be Mary Alice Cullen. She has the life she deserves to have, and even though we'll more than likely face a few more challenges in the future, it'll be worth it.

Alice will be loved and wanted and _know _she is loved and wanted.

Forever.

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><p><strong>AN: Should I pass some tissues around? This is the last regular chapter, but an epilogue will be posted on Friday. And please feel free to continue with the outtake suggestions, either through reviews or PMs. You guys are giving me such good things to write. **

**Lots of thanks to_ MelissaMargaret_ for making this pretty and to _anhanninen_ for prereading.**

**And thanks to all of you for reading!**

**See you on Friday!**


	30. Chapter 30

**A Family for Alice**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

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><p>"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Get up! Get up! Get up! It's the first day of school!"<p>

"Yeah, Mommy. Get up. Get up. Tell her, Sammy."

"Ma ma ma ma ma ma ma."

I burrow my head deeper into my pillow but can't stop my smile. Everyone seems to be very excited this morning.

The bed dips as someone crawls toward me, and soon little arms are trying to turn me over. I resist, holding still until just the right moment then turn quickly, catching Alice in my arms.

"Mommy!" she squeals, placing her hands on my cheeks. "You need to get up now."

"I do, huh?" I ask as I kiss her nose. We don't care about morning breath in this house.

She nods. "Yes because it's the first day of school and you get to come with me to my class. Sammy and Daddy are coming too. And Daddy is going to let me help make my lunch, but you have to take Sammy first."

I stare at her for a moment, just enjoying her sweet little face. I'll never get over how much my favorite girl has grown in three years. She's no longer a timid five-year-old, that's for sure. Still just as sweet, our daughter has completely come out of her shell to become the energetic eight-year-old lying beside me. Rarely is anything other than a smile residing on her face, and I'm a little afraid that she'll give her new teacher trouble with her near-constant giggles.

Especially since Bella is in her class again this year. Those two easily make the most adorable mischief.

"Okay, okay." I give her another kiss and pat her bottom. "You and Daddy go make your lunch while Sammy and I chill in here. Make me some breakfast too while you're at it."

Carlisle chuckles as Alice runs off downstairs then walks over to my side of the bed.

"Your wish is my command, wifey," he whispers as he leans down to kiss me. I even get some tongue until Sam starts protesting, grunting and reaching for me.

"We'll celebrate surviving the first day of school tonight," I promise Carlisle as he pulls back with a pout. "We can even play school, if you'd like."

"Mmm," he hums, giving me a wink as he sits Sam on the bed so he can crawl over to me. "Wifey, I like how you think. I promise to behave myself in school...or maybe it's more fun to misbehave."

I laugh as he cheekily struts out of the room. I don't think I could love the man more if I tried, and I do try every moment of the day. Carlisle is the best husband and father to our children I could ever ask for. With these years of practice, he's just gotten better at both.

Sam doesn't let me think for long. He's a baby on a mission as he crawls over to sit on me and pull on the top of my tank top.

"You know what you want, don't you?" I chuckle as I pull down my top so he can get what he wants. "You're your daddy's son, that's for sure."

"Da da da da," he squeals, throwing himself next to me. I roll slightly so it will be more comfortable for both of us and watch in wonder as he consumes his favorite kind of breakfast.

I sing to him for a few minutes, off-tune versions of whatever pops into my head. Sammy doesn't mind my lack of skill though. He's just happy to hear my voice and melt me with those big blue eyes - eyes so similar to his sister that you'd think they were blood related.

With him content for the time being, I close my eyes and relax as I absently run my fingers through his fine blonde hair.

I'm not as excited about the first day of school as Alice is. It's the first time I'm going back to work since Sam was born eleven months ago. We've left him before - even over night - but this just feels so different. And it's not that I think I'll break down or not be able to make it through the day. It's just that the days are so much brighter when spent with my babies.

My class seems like a good one though so I'm hoping they'll be enough to keep my day bright until I have both Sam and Alice in my arms again.

This year has flown by. Sometimes I feel like we've been on fast forward since the day we told Alice that we were going to be providing the baby brother she specifically asked for two Christmases ago.

My pregnancy with Sam was easy, adjusting to a new little person in the house was easy, sending Alice off to second grade without staying in the same building as her was _not _easy, but we managed.

And now Alice is going into third grade, Sam will be a year old next month, and I just want to freeze time.

Sam interrupts my thoughts when he starts to climb over me. I laugh softly as I help him move to the other side. Yes, time might be moving too quickly, but we're enjoying every moment.

Once part one of Sammy's breakfast is finished, I change his diaper and get him dressed in his "Certified Hunk" t-shirt and some khaki shorts. I have a feeling he'll be running into his little girlfriend today, so he needs to be looking his best. After combing his hair, I place him in his jumper that's in the doorway of our bedroom and bathroom.

As he laughs and jumps, I get myself ready in relative peace, curling my hair and leaving it down for my husband. I'm already planning our evening in my head, so I go with a style that will be easy to pull up into a tight bun later. Knowing Carlisle, he's going to need a strict teacher.

When I'm dressed and ready for the day, I make sure the diaper bag is packed, lift Sam into my arms, and head downstairs. Carlisle and Alice are waiting in the kitchen, smiling proudly as they show me the packed lunch boxes and the plate of eggs, bacon, and toast waiting for me.

"I'm impressed," I say, nodding approvingly. Even Sammy claps his hands for them.

We sit at the table, enjoying our filling breakfast together. Sam babbles and halfway eats the cereal I'm feeding him while Alice chatters nonstop about how excited she is for third grade and seeing all of her friends again. One particular mention makes Carlisle flinch, and I take his hand, rubbing it as I hold it in my lap.

Alice picks up on her daddy's discomfort and walks over to crawl into his lap. "I love you, Daddy," she says, puckering her lips for a kiss.

He glances over at me, rolling his eyes with a grin. I silently giggle, knowing that my talk with Alice paid off. She knows exactly how to work with Carlisle.

Wrapping his arms around her, he gives her a bear hug and kisses her face until she can't stop laughing. "Allie cat," he says as she catches her breath, "I love you too, but we're not mentioning boys at breakfast again, okay?"

She giggles and nods, hugging him once more before going back to her meal. Yes, she knows exactly how to handle him.

Breakfast is finished with plenty of time to spare for Alice to make sure her first day of school _ensemble _is to her liking. She, Bella, and Leah have matching dresses for the occasion - zebra print sundresses in different colors. Alice's is pink, and she has a white sweater, pink sandals, and a headband with a bow to match. I think she looks adorable, but that's not the word she wants me to use.

"Precious, you look very stylish," I tell her as she twirls in front of our mirror. "Very chic."

She turns to me and smiles, showing off her two missing teeth. "Thank you, Mommy! Are we ready to go now?"

I check my watch and nod. "As long as Daddy and Sam haven't gotten into any trouble, we are good to go."

She cheers and skips out of the room and back down the stairs. I follow, grabbing my bag out of the office before joining the rest of the family in the living room. Carlisle has the diaper bag slung over one shoulder with keys in hand, a clear sign that he's ready to go as well.

The drive to school passes quickly, and my first stop is the faculty meeting while Carlisle takes the kids to my classroom to wait for me.

At the meeting, I take my seat next to Rosalie, sitting close so I can wrap my arm around her. It's her first day back since Christmas, and I know it's killing her to be separated from her four-month-old daughter Claire.

"Good morning," I say as I kiss her temple. "How's it going?"

She lets out a long sigh and shrugs. "I'm okay right now, but I'm already counting down until this afternoon. Emmett's bringing her to lunch so I'll get to see her then."

"That's good. And remember, come talk to me any time."

She nods and gives me a small smile. "I know. I don't know what I'd do without you here. At least you understand."

I return the smile but say nothing else because it's time for Heidi to begin the meeting.

Even though I've been gone for a year, it feels just like any first day of school. There's apparently a new computer program to deal with, but it's new for everyone so I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

Heidi thankfully keeps the meeting short, and then we all head to our respective classrooms. Walking the halls with Rosalie brings a wide smile to my face. Yes, it's early and I'll miss my babies and husband today, but my job makes me happy. This is what I'm meant to do.

When we round the corner of the hallway that leads to our classrooms, we're met by a very pleasant surprise. Not only are Carlisle, Alice, and Sam waiting outside my room, but so are Emmett and Claire.

Rosalie gasps and quickly leaves my side to join her family. "What are you two doing here? Not that I mind, of course." She takes her smiling baby into her arms and showers her with kisses before situating her up on her shoulder.

"Claire bear didn't want to miss her mommy's first day back to school," Emmett explains, grinning. "So I had no choice but to bring her."

"That was very sweet of you, Emmett." I walk over and give him a hug. "We've managed to turn the first day of school into a family gathering."

"That we have," Carlisle agrees. "Honestly, I'm surprised mom and dad didn't miraculously show up too."

I almost expect Jane and Alistair to pop out from behind a corner. They probably would be here if they weren't off cruising the Bahamas.

"Daddy, Oma and Papa are on vacation," Alice corrects him. "Oma's bringing me a t-shirt."

"Excuse me, Allie cat," he says dramatically. "Thank you for keeping me on my toes." He leans over to blow a raspberry on her cheek. Sam squeals and has to give his sister a hug too.

Alice doesn't settle for just a hug, instead taking her little brother into her arms. She starts off down the hallway, indicating with a nod of her head that we're supposed to be following.

Carlisle looks at me, grabbing my hand as he shrugs. "I think that's our cue."

We follow Alice, leaving Rosalie, Emmett, and Claire to have some time together. Rosalie agrees to watch out for any of my students while we're gone, which allow me to only focus on getting ready to drop my girl off with her teacher.

When we finally catch up, Alice is chatting away with her new teacher, Tia Martin. I specifically requested her for Alice and Bella, knowing that she'll be the best fit.

"Hi, Esme," Tia says with a wave as she notices Carlisle and me in the doorway. "Alice here was telling me all about her little brother. And about how her Daddy snores."

"Miss Alice, why are you telling on me?" Carlisle asks, feigning shock. "I thought you loved me."

Tia and I chuckle as Alice giggles and goes to Carlisle. "I do love you, Daddy. Lots and lots and lots! And if it makes you feel better, I said that Sammy makes funny faces when he poops. Didn't I Miss Martin?"

Tia nods. "Oh, she did. That's much worse than your secret, Carlisle, although it _is _safe with me."

"Well, I guess I can forgive my daughter," Carlisle says, kneeling down to Alice's level. "I'll be more careful of my secrets though." He surprises Alice by tickling her, and I quickly take Sammy from her before she drops him. He's all too happy about watching, clapping his hands as Alice starts to tickle Carlisle back.

"Excuse my crazy family," I say to Tia, grimacing. "I promise we do know how to act normal in public."

She laughed. "It's okay, really. My boyfriend, Ben, isn't even normal in public. Alice will fit in with me just fine."

Alice and Carlisle continue their horse-play for a few more minutes, but then I have to stop them. I need to get back to my classroom, and I'm sure Tia has things to do as well.

I motion for Alice to come over to me, and after passing Sam to Carlisle, I kneel down to give her a hug.

"You have an awesome first day, okay? And if you need me, you know where to find me." I've given her the same speech three times now, but I feel like she needs to hear it. I can never tell Alice enough that I'm here for anything she needs. She'll always have my support. "Oh, and you and Bella try not to giggle all day. I love you, precious."

She squeezes me just a little tighter as she nods. "Kay, Mommy. I love you too."

We repeat the same steps with her and Carlisle. His speech is a little different, mostly reminding her to remember to feed the tummy bears and not to hang out with too many boys. She just giggles and agrees to keep him from tickling her again.

Alice is really only friends with two boys, and in Carlisle's mind, that's two boys too many.

And much to Carlisle's disappointment, said boys arrive at the classroom right before we start to leave. Alice immediately runs over to them, grabbing the little blond's hand and pulling him over to us.

"Mommy, Daddy, look! Jasper and Edward are here too!"

"I see that, baby," I say with a smile. "Are you guys excited about today too?"

Jasper shyly comes over to give me a hug. "I'm excited, Miss Esme. And I hope I get to sit by Alice. Then we can share out snack."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tia wink at me so I know Jasper's wish will come true.

"That's so sweet of you, Jasper. Why don't you and Alice go find your desks?"

He nods and quickly crosses the room with Alice. Unlike Carlisle, I love watching them together.

The Masens moved to Forks in the middle of Alice's first grade year, and honestly, they were a godsend. With Alice panicking nearly once a week, it was great for her little support system to grow even more. The twin brothers, Jasper and Edward, were quickly added to the group made up of Alice, Bella, and Leah. Jasper's amazing calmness did wonders for Alice, and now the two of them are just as close as Alice is with Bella.

I think it was love at first sight, but I'll never tell Carlisle. He doesn't want his girl to grow up faster than necessary, and her having a friend who happens to be a boy is, in his opinion, a fast-track to teenagerhood.

Carlisle has Charlie on his side as well since Bella is smitten with little red-headed Edward. Renee and I foresee a double wedding in our future. Carlisle and Charlie see an opportunity to use Charlie's guns.

Carlisle remembers his manners though, giving high-fives to both Jasper and Edward. The bright side to this is that those boys think Carlisle is the coolest dad ever. He can't possibly dislike them with that going for them.

As the kids find their desks and listen to Tia, Carlisle and I visit for a few minutes with Elizabeth Masen and her youngest child, nine month old Emily. Or as Carlisle likes to say, Sam's girlfriend.

Apparently our daughter can't even be friends with an innocent little boy, but our son can have a girlfriend at not even a year old. Sometimes I fear I will never understand my husband, wonderful man that he is.

After giving Sam a few minutes to babble with Emily, we excuse ourselves. I'm not worried about leaving Alice because I'm positive she'll will be fine. This will be a great year for us all.

Back in my classroom, Carlisle sits in my desk chair, spinning slowly with Sam as I lean against my desk.

"I love you, wifey. This year will be fine, won't it?" he says, voicing my previous thoughts.

I nod thoughtfully but with a smile on my face. His declarations of love always come at the best times. "Love you too. And yes, I think it will. Alice has grown so much - even in the last three months."

She really has. Most, if not all, traces of the terrified little kindergartener are gone now. It's taken a while, but every struggle was worth it.

Third grade will be Alice's year. First grade revolved around separation anxiety. We worked through it, letting her know that just because she wasn't in my class didn't mean I wouldn't be close. Second grade was a little better, but not by much since I wasn't physically at school.

Seeing our favorite girl excited about school without all of the stress is so relieving. I literally can't stop smiling, even when Carlisle and Sammy have to leave. I find Rosalie right before school officially starts, and she has the same happy grin on her face.

The Cullen family seems to always have that effect. We love and support each other through everything big and small. Together, we gave Alice love, support, and stability - saving her and her childhood.

Everyday, I'm in awe of everyone in my life - how amazingly we fit together. We're by no means perfect, but I wouldn't trade our crazy family for the world.

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><p><strong>AN: I can't believe we're at the end already. *sniff sniff* But thanks to your suggestions, I now have plenty of outtakes to write. Feel free to continue sharing your ideas. **

**Millions of thanks go to _MelissaMargaret_ and _anhanninen _for editing and prereading and just encouraging me from the time this was only a plot bunny. They're such lovely, lovely friends.**

**And of course, I can't thank you guys enough for reading. Your support has meant the world to me, and I'm so glad you all love sweet Alice like I do.**

**I'm not sure when the first outtake will post, but hopefully I'll see you soon! **


	31. Chapter 31

**A Family for Alice - Outtake 1**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

**This outtake is from the end of Chapter 7. _Carlisle tosses me on top of the washer... _Prepare for lemonade. ;)**

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><p>.<p>

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"How much...longer?"

"Uh...t-minus...twenty three seconds. You ready?"

"Ohh...mmm...so ready." His fingers have been teasing me for the past ten minutes. I'm so more than ready. And now that they're inside me and tapping on that special little spot, I'm not sure how much longer I can last.

In fact, I know it's less than twenty more seconds.

"Carlisle...I can't...I can't...please..."

"Annnd...now."

He lifts me up to the top of the washer right as it changes to the spin cycle, and in one fluid motion, he's inside me. I'm so glad we have a front loading washer that's low to the ground. So glad because this is perfect.

The sensations...all the sensations. Him inside me, filling me so right. The washer under me, vibrating so right. I just...can't.

"Car...Carli...yeeeessssss. So good. Soooo, so good."

"You like that, baby?" His lips capture mine possessively, and I let him. My fingers trail into his hair and I hold him to my face.

I want him right here forever, but I have to let him breathe eventually. And when he does, he doesn't let me pull him back.

"Uh uh, wifey. I want to hear you scream."

He picks up speed, pounding into me just as the washer gets a little unbalanced.

"Oh Carlisle," I scream, reaching out to hold his shoulders. "Don't...stop...don't...stop...don't...stop."

He's way too good at this, the way he works my body. I don't even need his talented fingers to make it to the edge, but soon he's rubbing my clit and I'm done. So done.

"Yes, Esme. Let me hear you."

Oh, he hears me all right. I'm incoherent, screaming out my orgasm like it's the last one I'll ever have. I can't even understand what I'm saying, if I'm saying anything at all. My senses are filled with him and only him because he's still hitting everything just right.

It's possible that I black out for a second before he cries out my name and stills.

The washer also stills under me, and I feel like jelly. I fall forward against him, and he lowers us to the ground.. Somehow we don't break either of our necks.

"That was...yeah." I giggle at my inability to form a complete sentence. I think he's fucked me silly.

He laughs and kisses my neck. "Yeah. It was very...yeah." His arms wrap around me, and I let my eyes close as we catch our breath.

After a few minutes, most of the control of my muscles has returned and I can stretch and wiggle my toes. "Are you ready to get up?" I ask Carlisle.

He shakes his head. "Nope. But if you give me a few more minutes, I want round two to be up against the hallway wall."

"Mmm. That sounds good. We haven't been there in a while."

"I know. I like to keeps things interesting."

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><p><strong>AN: This outtake was written for my beta. I hope you all enjoyed the fun too!**

**I've been behind with this story, but I'll be doing review replies. You guys are all too lovely for me to forget.**

**Hopefully the next outtake will be posted soon. PL has been my focus lately, but Funlisle and Wifey always love their chance to shine.**

**Thank you all so much for reading and feel free to let me know what you think!**


	32. Chapter 32

**A Family for Alice - Outtake 2**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them.**

**This outtake is from Chapter 21. **_**Disciplining her the one time she has needed it so far was heartbreaking.**_

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><p><em><strong>.<strong>_

_**.**_

"What time, Esme?"

"Two more hours, precious."

She sighs, climbing on the couch to lie over my lap. "That's so wong. I miss Carwile now."

"I know you do, baby. I miss him, too." I run my fingers through her dark hair and then pull her up so I can give her a hug. "But we can do something fun while we wait."

That suggestion makes her eyes brighten, and I have to laugh. Carlisle rarely works on the weekends now that we have Alice, but he was on call today and had to go in. His promise to bring home pizza made the day more enjoyable for a little while. Until we hit the boredom mark about an hour ago.

"What we gonna do, Esme?" Alice asks, placing her hands on my face to give me a kiss.

I give her three kisses in return, loving her sweet giggles. "I was thinking we could make Carlisle some cookies. Do you think he'd like that?"

"Yes! Carwile wuvs cookies wike chocowate chip. We can make some?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking. How about you clean up your toys while I get everything ready?" Thanks to the boredom, there's currently half of a toy box scattered around the living room.

Alice agrees to the deal, so after another hug and kiss, I head to the kitchen to get our ingredients ready. I never cleaned up from lunch, so that has to be taken care of first.

Fifteen minutes later, I walk back to the living room and am surprised to see that none of the toys have been moved and Alice is nowhere in sight.

"Alice," I call. "Baby, where'd you go?"

I hear her coming down the stairs, and when she comes back into the living room, her arms are full of more toys.

"Esme, my tea set goes with cookies. I can make Carwile some tea!"

"That sounds great," I agree. "But I asked you to pick up these other toys. Can you do that please before you get any others out?"

"But Esme," she whines. "I want to pway this now."

My eyes widen slightly. I'm not used to Alice acting like this – like a normal five-year-old. Part of me wants to smile and hug her because I'm so happy she feels comfortable enough here to express herself. But the other part of me – the part that is used to handling kindergarteners – knows this is a test for me. Being a parent includes the good and the bad, and Carlisle and I can't just let her get away with everything. We're definitely more lenient than we probably should be for valid reasons. But I don't think I can let her get away with this today.

"Precious, you can play with that as soon as you put these other toys away. Listen the first time, okay?"

"No," she says, dropping her tea set and stamping her foot.

I know exactly which classmate she got this behavior from, and I know she knows better. I'm only left with one other option.

"Alice," I say sternly but keeping my voice soft. "No, ma'am. We don't throw a fit when we don't get our way. Go up to your room and think for a few minutes. I'll be up soon."

I'm expecting her to be upset, maybe cry or continue with her tantrum. What I don't expect is for her to freeze and back away from me as her eyes fill with tears. The look on her face completely shatters my heart.

She's terrified. Of me.

"Alice," I say slowly, reaching one hand out for her. It only startles her, and her sobs begin as she turns around and runs upstairs.

"Oh no," I whisper to myself. "Oh no, oh God, oh no." I can barely see through my own tears as I search for my phone in the kitchen. I find it and manage to dial Carlisle's number before sinking to the floor.

He answers on the fourth ring. "Hey, wifey. How are my two favorite girls today? Hopefully I won't be here too much longer."

"Carlisle," I cry, not able to say anything else.

Nothing else needs to be said; he's on high alert right away. "Esme. What's going on? Is Alice okay? Talk to me, baby."

"Car . . . lisle. She had . . . tantrum and I sent her . . . and now . . . afraid . . . I don't . . . know . . ."

"Okay, baby, okay," he soothes. "Take a deep breath for me. Another one. Good. Now, can you start over? Alice had a tantrum?"

"Mmhmm." I nod even though he can't see me as I sniffle and try to control myself. "I asked her to clean up her toys three times, and she refused so I told her to go to her room and think. But she was terrified, Carlisle. She must think I'm a monster, too. How do I even fix this?"

"Okay," he says calmly. "First of all, I doubt she could _ever _see you as a monster. I bet she was just surprised because she's never gotten in trouble here before."

"Should I take it back?" I'm at such a loss, but I want to do whatever I can to fix this.

"I really don't think that would work. We have to start correcting her when she does wrong, so I think this is good. Wait as long as you were going to and go up and talk to her. When I get home we'll talk some more, but if you need me, call me again, okay? Will that work?"

I stand up and grab a napkin to wipe my face. "Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you, Carlisle. I love you so much."

He chuckles softly. "I love you, too, Wifey. Everything will be okay. Tell Allie cat I love her and will see her soon with pizza."

As soon as we hang up, I go to the bathroom to clean my face up a little more. I look as heartbroken as I feel, but I pull myself together enough to go upstairs.

I find Alice on her bed with her head buried in her pillow. Cautiously, I lie beside her and scoot closer to her. As soon as she notices me, she cuddles up to my side, and the relief I feel when she wraps her arms around me is indescribable.

"I sorry, Esme," she cries. Sorry sorry."

"Shhh." I hold her close and place several kisses on the top of her head. "It's okay, precious. It's okay. I forgive you."

She cries for a few more minutes, and silent tears leak out of my eyes as well. I'm still not sure of what to do, but the fact that she's letting me hold her is enough for now.

When she cries herself out, I wonder if she's asleep until she sits up to rub her eyes. She gives me a tentative smile, and I place my hands on either side of her face, even more relieved when she doesn't flinch away from me.

"I love you, Alice," I say, kissing her red nose and her sweet little lips.

"Wuv you, Esme," she whispers before crawling on top of me and lying down again.

I lie like that for a few more minutes and then take her into the bathroom so I can clean her face with a warm washcloth. With that taken care of, I grab a soft blanket and go down to the living room so we can cuddle in the big chair.

Alice is calm and relaxed in my arms, so I figure it's a good enough time for us to talk.

"Precious," I start softly. "I know you were scared of me, but you don't have to be. Carlisle and I would never _ever_ hurt our precious girl. If we punish you, we'll _never_ hit."

The fact that I'm having to have this conversation makes my stomach hurt, but I know it's important for her to understand.

"You know how at school when I'm Miss Cullen, when someone gets in trouble they move their name to a different color on the stoplight?"

She nods, cuddling closer. "Uh huh. I'm green."

"You are always on green, precious, because you're a good girl. But sometimes you won't always act like a good girl. Like today when you wouldn't pick up your toys when I asked you to."

"That's not nice," she says, looking up at me with big, solemn eyes. "I needa pick my toys up."

I smile and give her a kiss, pleased that even though she was afraid, she still thought about what she did and came to the right conclusion.

"That's right. So that was like going to a yellow light in school. And you know how every morning everyone is back to green? Well, you're back to green now because you said sorry and know what you did wrong. And that's all that will ever happen."

I let her digest this information, watching her face closely for any signs of her not understanding. She seems to be getting it, though.

"And Carlisle and I will always, always love you no matter what," I add. "There's nothing you could ever do to make us stop loving you."

"I wuv you too, Esme," she says, nuzzling her head against me. "Can I have cookies?"

I laugh, finally feeling the knot inside my chest start to resolve. "Of course you can, baby. I'll finish getting everything together while you clean up. Deal?"

She agrees and quickly slips out of my lap to start cleaning up her mess. I can tell there's still some fear motivating her, but we'll just have to deal with that later.

When she finishes, she joins me in the kitchen, and we manage to get two pans of cookies baked and cooling before Carlisle gets home.

"Where's my Allie cat?" he calls as he walks in the door. "I've got a cheesy pizza with her name on it."

I help her down from her spot on the counter, and she giggles as she runs to him. I can't hear them greet each other, but after a few minutes they join me in the kitchen. Carlisle has his arms full with Alice in one and pizza in the other, but he doesn't look like he could be any happier. At least until I take the pizza from him and claim his other side.

"I've been waiting for this all day," he says as he hugs us both and alternates giving us kisses.

The laughter and smiles continue as we sit together and eat our pizza and then when we have a tea party with our chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Carlisle volunteers for both dinner clean up and bath time, but I stay in the bathroom with them while they play pirates. It's too entertaining to not watch.

Once we're all in our pajamas and ready for bed, we all lay in Alice's bed with the chosen book. But before we read, we talk to Alice again about what happened today. Carlisle basically says the same things I did, but I know it's good for us to repeat this. And we'll keep saying it until we don't have to anymore.

Alice is going to act like a five-year-old, and that's good. Everyone makes mistakes, and even though she's afraid of doing just that, it's unavoidable. She has us, though, and I so hope that helps her transition to a more normal childhood.

Alice falls asleep with a smile on her face before we even finish the book. After making sure her nightlight is on, we sneak out and go downstairs to cuddle on the couch. Carlisle wraps me in his arms and kisses my temple.

"Thank you," I say, throwing my legs over his lap. "For earlier. I couldn't have done it without you."

"You don't ever have to thank me for that, wifey. I'll always be here to support you. And I think you did perfectly. Alice seemed to really understand what we told her."

I sigh. "I don't think it's enough, though. We love her, and that's helping so much. There's no way to deny that. But I think she needs more than that."

"So . . . like what? A therapist?" he asks. "Isn't she a little too young for therapy?"

I shrug. "Maybe a family counselor would help. There's no way for us to know what all she has going through her head. I imagine some of it is completely terrifying." I shudder just thinking about what horrors that precious girl has seen and experienced in her short life.

"Let's look for one then," Carlisle says, kissing me again. "We'll keep on loving her like we are, but I think it's okay that we can't do everything ourselves."

I nod in agreement.

"And, we already have a village going on with our family," he adds with a laugh. "We'll just add one more to it. Allie cat won't have any choice but to be even more loved and perfect."

I laugh with him and am not surprised that my wonderful husband has made me feel even better. We made it over this hurdle, not completely unscathed, but still hopefully stronger for it. Alice knows we love her and for tonight, that's definitely enough.

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><p><strong>AN: I started posting this fic one year ago today, so I decided to celebrate with an outtake. I hope you all enjoyed it! **

**Hopefully I'll be able to get some more outtakes written in less time than it took for this one. Feel free to refresh my memory with your requests.**

**Lots of thanks to _MelissaMargaret _and _anhanninen _for being awesome like they always are.**

**And lots of thanks to you guys for sticking with me even when I'm super fail. =)**


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